Heat Stroke III: To Lose One and Love Two Others
by Rosalind du Coudray
Summary: Haruhi experiences more pain than a normal high schooler should have to in the third installment of the series. KyoyaxHaruhi is back with the ever-adorable Isamu! Characters are OOC, so please don't comment on that! Read on to find out more!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, my darling readers! I am so glad that you came back to read the third installment of **__**Heat Stroke**__** series. I really hope that you enjoy this story as much as you have enjoyed the first two. It starts off a bit slow...but I promise it speeds up really quickly! I already have the next few chapters written!**_

_**Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

Haruhi Fujioka woke up feeling refreshed and excited. Today was the second to last day of school for her, which meant the last day for the school year at the Host Club as an entertainer. After tomorrow, Haruhi would be able to hang out with Kyoya and Isamu every day for as long as they liked. Haruhi got dressed and checked her phone. No messages from her boys yet; she shrugged.

Stretching her arms over her head, Haruhi made her way into the kitchen to get to work on breakfast for her and her father. Imagine her surprise when her father was bustling about the kitchen, busily making breakfast.

"Good morning, my beautiful daughter!" He sang as he placed a plate of eggs on the table. "Eat up! I've made plenty!"

"Er…Dad? What is all this? What's gotten into you?" Haruhi asked worriedly.

"Whatever do you mean, Haruhi?"

"You're never up this early, Dad. And you never make breakfast." Haruhi was concerned, and she could not hide it.

"I just felt like doing something nice for my wonderful daughter. Is that a crime?" He still had not stopped smiling, and it was beginning to unnerve Haruhi.

"No…I…I guess not." She said, sitting down at the table with her father.

They engaged in quiet conversation as they ate. The two talked about everything from the weather to Haruhi's relationship with Kyoya. When it came time for Haruhi to leave for school, she almost did not want to. Her worry for her father had decreased considerably, but Haruhi was still in awe about the entire morning.

"Have a good day, Daddy. I love you." Haruhi said, kissing her father on the cheek.

"I love you too, Haruhi. Don't ever forget that." Her father replied, hugging her tightly.

She left the house in a daze and climbed into Kyoya's waiting limo. Kyoya leaned in to kiss her, but Haruhi did not respond, even when she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck.

"Haruhi? Sweetheart, are you okay?" Kyoya asked, turning Haruhi's head to face him.

"Huh?" She asked dumbly.

"I asked if you were alright." Kyoya answered, concern in his eyes as he reached to feel her forehead.

"Oh…I'm alright…my dad was acting really strange this morning."

"Strange how? Do you mean stranger than super-excited-drag-queen-strange?"

Haruhi almost laughed. "No, Kyoya…he just…he was more affectionate than he usually is. He made breakfast. Kyoya, he _never _makes breakfast."

"Well maybe he just wanted to do something nice for you." Kyoya reasoned.

"Maybe…"

"Come on. We've got two more days of school then a summer of relaxation. Let's get through these two days then worry about everything else." Kyoya told her, rubbing her hand comfortingly.

Haruhi nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder. Two more days…just two short days before she could relax and not have to worry about anything.

They got to school and were immediately swamped with customers. Kyoya's customers excitedly chattered about the final day of Host Club, trying to weasel out what the theme would be. Haruhi's customers tried to convince her to come on vacations with them over the summer.

She never could have imagined such a positive response after revealing her true gender. Her female customers either despised her or wanted to be friends with her. The men in the school suddenly took notice of Haruhi and her now-obviously feminine body. Some of the men would try to convince her that they were better than Kyoya. Others simply liked to fawn over her, much like her air-headed former customers had.

"Shall we?" Kyoya startled her out of her reverie, grabbing her hand and walking towards the club room.

Haruhi smiled at him and nodded, following after him. When they reached the club room, Haruhi was not surprised to find foods of all sorts strewn around the room. Many kinds of flowers and other decorations were all over the place, giving the room a summery feel.

"Good morning, Haruhi, my dear daughter! Daddy has been waiting for you!" Tamaki swooped in for a hug. Kyoya was roughly pushed to the side, and Haruhi stood impassively in Tamaki's embrace.

"Senpai...get off. Now." Haruhi growled, pushing Tamaki off of her.

"Wah! My daughter doesn't love me anymore!" Tamaki wailed as he retreated to his corner.

"Last day, Haru-chan! Are you excited?" Honey asked as he bounded up to her.

"Of course, Honey-senpai. What's not to love about today?"

"Hey, Haruhi..." Kaoru began, sidling up to her side.

"We heard that Isamu-chan is coming to club today." Hikaru continued.

"Is that true?" They chimed in unison.

Haruhi looked at Kyoya, who nodded slightly. "My driver is bringing him to school at the end of the day. We just have to get him at the office."

Haruhi nodded happily. "Mori-senpai, are you happy for the last day of club?"

Mori "aah-ed" and looked down at Honey. "Haru-chan...we're graduating this year, so we won't be able to be in club every day anymore. We've arranged to be here from time to time, but it probably won't be a daily thing..." Honey informed her, looking down at the ground.

"Oh...well, I'm sure that will make the ladies very happy when they do see you. Absence does make the heart grow fonder." She quipped, trying to make him feel better.

With that last thought, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes for the day. The school day went by very slowly, as expected of the last few days of school. By the time lunch hit, all worries Haruhi had concerning her father had all but vanished. When the day finally ended, Haruhi made her way up to the club room to meet with the others.

Before she could get there, her phone rang and displayed the number of her father's boss. Strange…he never called her…like, ever.

"Moshi moshi." Haruhi picked it up.

"Haruhi, darling!" He drawled into the phone. "Your father did not show up for work this afternoon, and he was due here two hours ago. I was wondering if you maybe knew where he is?"

"Er...no. He probably fell asleep or something...he got up much earlier than he's used to." Haruhi said, almost unable to mask her concern.

"Oh! Well, that's alright. I've been keeping him later than usual, so I'll let him off the hook just this once." The feminine voice answered.

"I am sure that he appreciates it."

"Take care of yourself, Haruhi-chan!"

The two hung up, and Haruhi continued to Host Club, a feeling of despair gnawing at the pit of her stomach. When she reached the doors, Haruhi almost did not go in; however, this was her last day for the year and Isamu was going to be joining...Isamu!

Haruhi turned tail and bolted towards the front entrance to get Isamu. She had nearly forgotten about him in her worry for her father. Isamu was sitting in the office, idly swinging his legs over the side of the chair whilst drawing something on office stationary.

"Isa-chan! I'm so sorry I'm late." Haruhi explained hurriedly when she finally reached the office door.

"It's okay! I was having fun drawing anyway. I drew you a picture!" Isamu smiled, showing his gap-toothed grin.

Haruhi could not help but return the smile as she took the picture and looked at it. Isamu had drawn a picture of four people. One looked as much like him as the boy could manage; one looked a lot like Kyoya; one looked a lot like Haruhi; the final one was a mystery. The fourth person did not look like anyone Haruhi knew. It did not look like Ranka or Yoshio or any of the club members.

"Isa-chan, who is this?" Haruhi asked as they made their way to the Host Club.

"She's my baby sister!" Isamu replied happily. Haruhi's heart almost broke. Had the boy had a younger sister at some point? Had she been killed?

"What happened to her?" She inquired curiously.

"She isn't alive yet." Isamu told her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh? Where are her mommy and daddy in this picture?"

"This is her mommy, and this is her daddy." Isamu pointed to the Haruhi and Kyoya look-alikes.

"Ah, I see. Then is this you?" Haruhi pointed to the fourth person in the picture.

"Yep! We're a happy family together! That's you; that's me; that's Kyoya; and that's Mirai!"

Mirai, huh? What an appropriate name for the little girl.

By now, they had reached Music Room #3. The second Haruhi and Isamu walked through the door, they were the center of attention. The girls wailed about Isamu's cuteness; the guys made mental notes that Haruhi looked good as a mother. Haruhi scanned the room, looking for one person in particular and when her eyes met Kyoya's, she smiled.

"Hello, Haruhi. How was your day?" Kyoya asked, walking up to her.

"It was dull…until now. I am ever so glad to be back in your arms, Kyoya…" Haruhi answered, turning up the charm and earning choruses of "kawaii!" from the females in the room. Internally, Haruhi rolled her eyes. She could never have imagined the response they would get if they came out as a couple. Even still, Haruhi was glad that they would have the summer off and wouldn't be taking weekend trips with the customers.

Eventually, Host Club ended for the year. Honey and Mori were practically buried in gifts from their customers, wishing them well in college and promising to be their customers whenever they came back. Haruhi and Isamu lounged on a couch in the back corner. Isamu had fallen asleep at one point, and Haruhi had started to run her fingers through his hair. Of course, this went over well with the customers, who could not stop commenting on how great of a mother she made. Kyoya was finishing up calculations on his computer, taking quick peeks at Haruhi and Isamu from time to time. Tamaki was wailing about how much he would miss Host Club and that they should get together and do something over the summer. Hikaru sat beside Tamaki, Kaoru on his lap, both encouraging Tamaki's ideas.

"Well...I can honestly say that I am thankful for the year we've had." Haruhi spoke up suddenly, making the others quiet down and look at her.

"How do you mean, Haru-chan?" Honey piped up curiously.

"We've had a lot to do and a lot going on. You know...relationship-wise and health-wise...and I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking this way because Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are leaving...but I think we've had a great year, all things considered. I'm really glad to be in the Host Club and I'm really glad to have met you all."

Tamaki was behind her in an instant, rubbing his cheek against hers affectionately. "My beautiful daughter! You've finally accepted us as family! Oh, what a wonderful day this has turned out to be!"

"Tamaki-senpai..." Haruhi growled. This was getting old.

"Yes, my wonderfully loving daughter?"

"Do me a favor and kindly...GET. OFF."

Tamaki reeled back as though she had slapped him in the face. "But...but...daughter..."

"Ouch...rejected by your own daughter." Hikaru and Kaoru appeared behind Tamaki.

Haruhi watched, slightly amused, as Tamaki's face lost all color and his soul flew out of his mouth.

"I hate to be the one to close club on the last day, but it seems to be time to go." Kyoya told the hosts.

Tamaki, Kaoru, Hikaru, and Honey all groaned unhappily. Summers were always boring without the Host Club activities. Haruhi's face brightened up considerably. Mori seemed indifferent.

The hosts parted ways, promising to get together over the summer. When Tamaki had suggested once a week, Haruhi had hit him over the head. Once a week was way too much for her, seeing as she spent every day with them over the course of the school year.

Haruhi had Isamu on her back as she and Kyoya walked the relaxing path to the Ootori mansion. She smiled at Kyoya as they listened to Isamu's nonstop chattering. He talked about everything and anything, with hardly any linkage between topics.

Haruhi left Isamu and Kyoya and started home. When she got home, she noticed that the door was still unlocked from this morning. Her heart started to race as the worry from earlier suddenly slammed into her. Haruhi took off at a run and burst through the door. The sight that greeted her when she entered was one she was sure would always be etched into her mind.

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_**I know it was slow...so please don't say that. Oh! And they are going to be OOC, but it's my story, so please don't start...**_

_**The next chapter should be up in the next couple of days, but while you all are waiting, why not leave a short review so that I can see who is still with me!**_

_**~Rose**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello, my wonderful readers! I'm so happy to see that most of you stuck around to read the third one! I was even more stunned when a lot of other people went back and read (and favorited) the other two parts. You all are THE BEST! I feel honored to have you all reading my stories. **_

_**Anywho, here is the next chapter...it killed me to write this one...but here it is!**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

Haruhi left Isamu and Kyoya and started home. When she got home, she noticed that the door was still unlocked from this morning. Her heart started to race as the worry from earlier suddenly slammed into her. Haruhi took off at a run and burst through the door. The sight that greeted her when she entered was one she was sure would always be etched into her mind.

* * *

_**And now...**_

Her father lay on the futon in the living room. To anyone else, he would have looked as though he was sleeping. Haruhi's mother's picture was clasped in her father's hands. Two bottles of pills lay on the floor beside him. One had the word Paxil written across it, while the other was some sort of sleeping pill. A few pills from the bottles were scattered across the floor, but the bottles themselves were empty. Her father's face looked peaceful and almost happy. The whole scene was too much for Haruhi, and she shakily went to the phone, grabbing it before dropping to her knees.

"Emergency Services." A voice answered from the other line.

"Yes…uhm…I just got back from school…my-my father…he's not moving…there are pills everywhere…"

"Alright, Honey. What is your name?"

"Ha-Haruhi..."

"Okay, Haruhi, what is your address? We will send an ambulance to your location."

Haruhi told the voice and hung up. She curled up into a ball against the wall and waited for them to arrive.

Ten minutes later, two men came bursting through her door. One checked on her father while the other approached her cautiously.

"Are you Haruhi?" He asked calmly.

She merely nodded.

"Are you alright?"

Again she nodded.

"We're going to do everything we can for your father, okay?"

Yet another nod.

"Can you say something for me, Haruhi?" He asked, trying to draw her out of her ball.

"Thank you..." She whispered, hating how her voice squeaked.

"Oi, Hiro!" The man called to his partner. "Is there anything..."

Haruhi watched with dread building as the man's partner, Hiro, shook his head. "No, Hatsu, there's nothing we can do for him. He's been gone for at least five hours...drug overdose."

Hatsu's eyes softened as he looked back at Haruhi. "I'm so sorry, Haruhi."

Haruhi nodded numbly, her eyes glazed over.

"We're going to take his body to the hospital to get everything sorted out. Would you like to come with us?" He held out his hand for her to take.

She reached out and took it, still numb. She followed him quietly to the ambulance. Haruhi could not believe how quiet it was in the ambulance. Her normally happy, expressive father was stone cold...dead. He was a dead body...he was supposed to give her away at her wedding. He was supposed to be there for his grandchildren. He was supposed to protect her from all of the grabby boys she would meet in college. Now he would never get the chance to do any of those things. He was gone, and there was no bringing him back.

Haruhi wished she would have pressed him for more information this morning at breakfast, but she would have felt bad and probably would not have gotten anywhere. Her father was a secretive man when he wanted to be, and if there was something he did not want anyone to know, it would remain a secret.

The words "dead" and "body" flashed before her eyes. They were such cold, unfeeling words. Such...unfitting words. Her father was not a dead body; he was merely the shell of the man he had once been. He would be with her tomorrow morning when she woke up.

Taking his cold hand in hers, Haruhi looked at her father's face. He was no longer clutching the picture of her mother, but the ghostly smile remained on his face. How fitting for him to die with a smile on his face. Haruhi mused about what might have driven him to this, but she could not come up with anything. Her father was always a happy person, and he never seemed to be this kind of person. Yet here he was.

By the time everything was sorted out, it was nearly 11 PM. Instead of accepting the offer for a ride from the one of the hospital staff, Haruhi headed home on foot. She still could not quite wrap her head around he fact that her father was gone. It seemed so impossible. She let her mind wander to other topics.

Tomorrow would be the last day of school, and Haruhi knew she would not bother going. Nothing important was going on and there was no way that she would be able to sleep. Haruhi felt a pang of disappointment in herself; she was embarrassed with herself. Her father had just died and she was the one to find the body. The sole family member she had left was gone, and she had not shed a single tear yet. She simply could not find it in herself to cry. Deep down, she supposed she was waiting to wake up from the nightmare, but even deeper down she knew that it was not just a nightmare.

She finally arrived home and laid down on the futon, staring up at the ceiling. It was dark in the little apartment. It was dark and quiet. Too quiet. Her father's snoring, which would have normally kept her up, was not to be heard. His scent, a light musk with a hint of roses, still clung to the futon.

Haruhi rolled onto her side and picked up her mother's framed picture. She crushed it to her chest before talking to it.

"Mom...I don't know why he did it, but please take care of him. I miss you both...and now I'm all alone...I don't know what to do. I won't be able to stay here anymore, but I don't have anywhere to go. I'm sure he missed you, and I know you missed him...and now you can be together. What am I supposed to tell the hosts? Kyoya? Isamu...? Mom, I'm scared. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know what to do or where to go from here. I've never had to plan a funeral before...I've never been so alone before...it's so empty here without him. Take care of him, Mom...I love you guys..."

Haruhi kissed her mother's portrait and set it down again. She had given up on sleep for the night.

She let her mind wander into nothing as she continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Come on..." She muttered. "One tear...something...anything."

Haruhi scrunched up her face as though she was going to cry, but when she touched her cheeks, she did not feel anything. She was becoming more and more frustrated with herself. Wasn't she supposed to be crying? Wasn't she supposed to feel bad? Wasn't she supposed to feel _something_?

At one point, probably around two in the morning if she was to guess, Haruhi had fallen asleep. She could not stay asleep for more than half an hour at a time, because every time she would start to dream, she would see her father's body lying motionless on the futon.

When she finally got tired of laying down, Haruhi stood up and made her way to her room. She spent twenty minutes making her bed so that not a single wrinkle existed. Over the next two hours, Haruhi busied herself with mindless tasks around the house.

It was noon. Haruhi was tired. She laid back down on the futon and closed her eyes, but she sleep seemed to be elusive once more. On the table, just out of arm's reach, Haruhi's phone was buzzing wildly. Sighing heavily, Haruhi picked it up and checked the screen. She had twenty-seven text messages from Kyoya, thirteen from Tamaki, ten from Hikaru, eight from Kaoru, seven from Honey, and two short ones from Mori. On top of that, there were fifteen missed calls and fourteen messages, mostly from Kyoya and Isamu.

Haruhi just could not find it in herself to answer any of them, so she placed the phone back on the table and leaned back into the futon. What was she supposed to tell them? "Sorry, guys! I disappeared for a bit because I came home to my dad's cold, dead body laying in the living room!" Haruhi laughed bitterly as she imagined the hosts' faces.

There were only two hours until school was over for the year, and Haruhi was sure they would come to find her. They would come knocking on the door and try to weasel the information out of her. Sighing again, Haruhi closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

She woke up an hour later, shaking terribly. The image of her father's body would not leave her mind. It was as though it was engraved into the back of her mind. Touching her cheek, Haruhi was once again disappointed to find the lack of tears. What did this mean? Did she not love her father? Was she not upset over his death?

She shook her head, trying desperately to clear it of the awful images. Staring at the ceiling, Haruhi tried to imagine why her father had done what he did. Was life really so bad that he felt the need to take his own? Did he realize that he was leaving her alone?

Images of her father right before his death flooded her mind...maybe not images, but possibilities.

_Ranka clutched his wife's portrait tightly, fat tears falling from his eyes. _

_"I'm so sorry, Kotoko...I can't do this anymore...I see Haruhi so incredibly happy with Kyoya, and I know that he will take care of her. There won't be a problem with that. She'll be fine...but I can't go on without you anymore, Sweetheart..."_

_He choked back a sob as he downed three of each kind of pill and lay back on the futon. The tears had since dried up as his sobs became dry, empty. Suddenly, he seemed to look directly at her with darkened eyes. _

_"I'm so sorry, Haruhi...I'm just dragging you down, and I cannot seem to let your mother go. I have lived for long enough without her, and I cannot do it anymore. I need to be with her." Down went five more of each._

_"Just know that I love you so much..." He continued to speak to the air. "Haruhi...darling Haruhi...my beautiful daughter...I'm sorry."_

_More pills, more muttering...then the muttering stopped and so did his heart. _

Haruhi could not find it in herself to cry still. The visions continued to flash through her mind.

_He was laying on the futon, staring into nothing. One of the pill bottles was laying empty on the floor beside him while the other was in his hand. One by one, he swallowed the pills. After each one he murmured an apology to either Haruhi or Kotoko. _

_Eventually, he let go of the second bottle of pills and collapsed onto the futon. Clutching his wife's picture, he whispered apologies into the stale air. _

_"I'm so sorry, Haruhi…but I cannot stand to be without your mother anymore…"_

_Suddenly, his eyes went wide as he started to thrash around. His arms sluggishly moved to his mouth, as though to purge the drugs from his system. "Wait…I can't leave her alone! I can't leave my baby girl all alone! I'm sorry Kotoko, but…but I…I c-ca…" _

_His body went limp, clutching the picture of Kotoko tightly. _

Haruhi shook her head. He was not the type to regret a decision. Another scene flashed, unbidden, through her mind.

_Ranka had been having trouble sleeping, and he figured that he deserved a day off from work. His boss would understand in time._

_Taking two sleeping pills and his regular dosage of anti-depressant, Ranka sat down on the futon and closed his eyes, clutching his wife's picture to his chest like a teddy bear. This had become customary for him as of late, as he missed her more and more with each passing day. Minutes later, he opened his eyes again._

_"Still depressed…still awake…" He mumbled as he took another dose of Paxil and two more sleeping pills. _

_Another six sleeping pills and four anti-depressant pills later, Ranka's eyes widened. "Dear Kami! What have I done?" _

_As he realized his egregious mistake, Ranka reached for the phone to call for help. His other hand went to his mouth to make himself regurgitate the pills, but he was too late in his realization. His inability to wait for the pills to take effect cost him his life, and as the light left his eyes, he choked out a final goodbye to Haruhi. _

_"I love you, my beautiful daughter." He whispered, his arm still stretched towards the phone. _

Haruhi shook her head. She wanted to believe that it was an honest accident, and she wanted to think that her father had wanted to get help. But try as she might, Haruhi could not believe it. She did not know what had happened, but she knew that her father was a patient man. He wouldn't have done something so utterly eternal accidentally.

She was so caught up in her musings that she did not hear the knocking on her door.

* * *

_**And that's where we leave off for now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It killed me to kill Ranka...I love him! But there it is...**_

_**Again, the characters are OOC, so please don't comment on that. **_

_**HOWEVER, if you have twenty seconds, please leave me a short review. They make me write faster. **_

_**Until next time!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello all! Thank you all very VERY much for the support you've all shown for this story! I have the best readers in the universe! I will admit that I feel a bit apprehensive every time I open a review. I always worry that someone will not like my story and will comment on how much they do not like it...**_

_**I consistently get awesome reviews from my awesome readers, and I want to thank all of you for this. **_

_**So to everyone who has reviewed this story or the previous two, this chapter is for you!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

Haruhi shook her head. She wanted to believe that it was an honest accident, and she wanted to think that her father had wanted to get help. But try as she might, Haruhi could not believe it. She did not know what had happened, but she knew that her father was a patient man. He wouldn't have done something so utterly eternal accidentally.

She was so caught up in her musings that she did not hear the knocking on her door.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya peered in through the window, fearing for his girlfriend. He had not seen her since she had left his house the day before, and she was not answering her cell phone. Ranka was not picking up, and no one seemed able to pick up the house phone.

His eyes widened slightly when he saw her supine form laying on the futon in the living room. She did not seem to be moving. Maybe she was sick...or hurt...or worse.

Knocking on the door, he called out to her again. Not a single twitch from the woman in the house.

"Mori-senpai...could you..." Kyoya asked, his mind not quite processing anything.

Mori nodded once and reached for the doorknob. He turned it, opening the door with ease. Kyoya would have felt embarrassed, had he the mental capacity to think rationally. He rushed forward to Haruhi's form and kneeled beside her.

"Haruhi? Can you hear me?" He grabbed her hand tightly in his own.

She looked up at him with glassy eyes that seemed to see right through him. Her face was pale, and dark rings surrounded her eyes.

"Haru-chan?" Honey asked, coming up behind Kyoya.

"Haruhi?"

"Mama?" Isamu's small voice came from beside him.

Kyoya watched as Haruhi's glazed eyes wandered to each face before settling on his own.

"K-Kyoya...?" Haruhi asked weakly.

He nodded as Haruhi sat up slowly. She launched herself at him, sobbing horribly. Kyoya could only hold her as her body shook with the force of her sobs.

"Haruhi? What is it?" Tamaki asked.

"Are you okay, Mama?" Isamu chimed in.

"Haruhi-koi?" Kyoya asked, pushing Haruhi an arm's length away. "What's wrong?"

But Haruhi continued to cry her heart out on Kyoya's shoulder. The sound of her cries broke his heart, especially knowing that he could not do much for her.

Kyoya had been worried about Haruhi all day, as he had not heard from her and had not seen her in school. Had that been all, he might have thought she just wanted to skip the last day of school. However, when she missed their get together with Isamu, Kyoya surmised that something must be wrong with her. After calling all of the others to see whether she had showed up at their homes, Kyoya had become even more worried. No one had seen her all day. The group of them had immediately come over to her house to check on her, as all of them were extremely worried for their princess.

He held her tightly as the other hosts crowded around them. The support and love emanating from the men in the room were tangible, and Kyoya allowed himself a small smile. He felt Haruhi shift slightly as she made room for Isamu to crawl into her lap. The boy curled himself up in Haruhi's lap and wrapped his arms around her neck. Kyoya could not stop the wave of pride he felt at watching the boy. He had not she a single tear, instead choosing to be strong for his "Mama's" sake.

The group sat there for a while, listening to the heart-wrenching sounds of Haruhi's sobbing. No one moved, and no one said a word.

Eventually, some time after dark, Haruhi cried herself to sleep, whispering a small but gracious thanks to the family surrounding her. Haruhi's sobs had ceased, but the men remained where they were. She was finally asleep, something Kyoya was very grateful for, but they still did not have any answers. Kyoya looked around and watched the men slowly release the sleeping woman. He saw Isamu curl further into Haruhi's lap, as though trying to suck her pain out.

Kyoya hefted the girl up, Isamu still firmly attached, and took her to her room. He laid her on her bed and brushed the hair from her face, noticing the onset of a fever as he did so. The tears she had cried stained her face and his top, and Kyoya almost did not want to leave her alone. But he wanted answers, and he wanted his girlfriend to feel better, so he set off to the kitchen to make some dinner for everyone. Perhaps Ranka could answer his questions when he returned home.

With one last, almost longing glance at his girlfriend and their adopted son, Kyoya turned and left the room.

"Did she say anything, mon ami?" Tamaki asked him upon his return to the kitchen. Kyoya shook his head. Everyone was worried about Haruhi and wanted to know why she had snapped so suddenly.

"I think I'm going to talk with Ranka when he gets home, see if he knows what's wrong with her." Kyoya answered as he got dishes out for dinner.

"Do you want some help, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked, as Kyoya nodded.

Everyone pitched in to make dinner for the hosts, plus Isamu and Ranka. Within the next hour, there was an assortment of food on the table as the hosts chowed down. Kyoya went back to Haruhi's room to check on her and see if she and Isamu wanted some food, but the two of them were still dead asleep on Haruhi's bed.

Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Mori, and Honey all volunteered to stay the night, or at least until Haruhi's father returned home, to make sure Haruhi was alright, and Kyoya obliged. He would never admit it, but he was glad that his friends had decided to stay and support Haruhi in whatever was going on.

An hour later, the twins and Honey were sprawled around the living room, passed out. That left three very worried young men sitting awake over tea. Tamaki's head drooped as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

"Go to bed, Tamaki...there's nothing we can do for her until she wakes up." Kyoya told him.

"You should get some rest as well, Kyoya." Tamaki suggested drowsily.

"I don't think I could sleep if I tried...but I guess...it couldn't hurt..." He conceded.

"We should all get to bed." Mori said as he walked over to Honey to cover him up.

Kyoya nodded but tried calling Ranka's cell phone again. Strangely enough, he heard it ringing from the room across the small apartment. Curious, Kyoya ventured into the small bedroom and found the phone on the bed, right next to two long envelopes. The envelopes were perched on top of a framed picture of a chibi version of Haruhi smiling with her parents. The room itself was clean and spotless.

He picked up both envelopes and the picture and made his way back to the living room. Mori was the only one still awake, so Kyoya voiced his worries.

"Ranka-san's room was spotless. It doesn't look like anyone's been in it for at least a day. Still no sign of him."

"Aah..." Mori replied, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Kyoya sat down heavily on the futon and examined his findings. One envelope was considerably thicker than the other. This one had Haruhi's name scrawled across the front, while the other had his own name written on it.

He set the picture frame down with Haruhi's envelope on top while he leaned back and examined his own. Opening it cautiously, he found two white sheets of paper with neat handwriting curling across them:

"Kyoya,

You have been more of a support for my little girl than I ever could be, and I wish to thank you for that. The two of you were made for each other. I am so glad that my daughter has had the luck of finding you and keeping you in her life. I fear that I must ask a rather large favor to ask of you...

I can no longer support myself and Haruhi, so I humbly request that you take care of my daughter in my absence. Unfortunately, I will need to leave her alone. Kyoya, please do not let my daughter live alone. Don't let her waste away by herself.

I realize that this is a lot to ask of you and the Ootori empire, and if it is not possible to do so, I do have a back-up plan. But I beg of you, don't let her be alone. She has done nothing wrong, and I want to make sure that she knows that. I am sure that you found the other envelope, and I want to make sure that she receives this. It includes some very important documents for her and may be the deciding factor for her future.

You and the other hosts have had a huge impact in our lives. Without you, I do not think that Haruhi would have been able to open up so much. The group of you will be able to provide a strong support system for my daughter. Please take care of her, as I know that the coming weeks, possibly months, will be difficult for her.

I realize that this must be very confusing, but it will all be explained soon, I have no doubt.

You, Haruhi, and Isamu make a very beautiful family, and I do wish that I would be able to be there to see you become one. I wish that I could be there to see Haruhi graduate; I wish that I could be there to walk her down the aisle; I wish that I could see my grandbabies...

Regrettably, I will not be able to see these events come to fruition, but I want to make sure that my daughter is in good hands. She is all I have had for the past several years, and she is the last of our family line.

There is one thing that I would like to tell you, completely in confidence. My Haruhi is different from anyone else. She is far more delicate than she is willing to let on. If you do not take care of her and protect her, I will make your life a living Hell. I am trusting you with the well-being of my only daughter, Kyoya. Please do not let me regret it.

Make _sure_ that Haruhi knows I love her. Remind her every day if you must. Be there for her and care for her. She _will_ need you.

Thank you from the very depths of my heart.

Ryouji Fujioka"

Kyoya had the sinking feeling that something awful must have happened to Ranka. The letter almost seemed like a goodbye...in the forever sense. He decided he would ask Haruhi when she woke up, or maybe he would ask Ranka when he finally returned, though the letter seemed to indicate that he was not coming back.

Still deeply curious about the mystery surrounding the Fujioka family, Kyoya set the letter and envelope on the table and leaned back. Haruhi had seemed so broken...Ranka was missing...the letter...none of it added up to anything good in his mind. Sighing heavily, Kyoya went to check on Haruhi before going to sleep himself.

Haruhi was wrapped protectively around Isamu, who returned the embrace perfectly. It must have scared the boy to see his normally strong and held-together mother-figure fall apart so completely and suddenly. Isamu wore a look of pure concentration as he slept, as though he was trying to figure out the mystery himself. He looked like he wanted to suck all of the pain from the woman he saw as a mother, but he did not know how. Haruhi wore a very troubled look. She mumbled things that were too quiet for Kyoya to hear, but the tears falling from behind her closed lids told him that she was in a nightmare.

Kyoya watched as Haruhi started to turn, in the beginnings of nightmare-induced thrashing. Isamu, still sound asleep, tightened his hold on Haruhi and curled himself deeper into her body. To Kyoya, the pair looked as though they were fighting off the same nightmare.

He smiled at them before closing the door quietly and heading back to the others for some much-needed sleep.

* * *

_**Kyoya's feeling a little more OOC than usual...maybe because of the bad feeling he has about Ranka...**_

_**Gosh it hurt to kill him...I wish I could pull a Dragonball Z and bring him back to life, but SPOILER ALERT! It is not going to happen...sorry! :'(**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And if you have a few seconds, please don't hesitate to leave a review! They really do make me write faster! :)**_

_**Until next time! **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello again, my faithful readers! I'm back with another chapter! You all are the best support system ever, and I wanted you all to know how much I appreciate all of you! **_

_**Each of your reviews makes me very happy, and I am so excited every time I get to read another one! **_

_**So...here's another chapter for you all to enjoy...hopefully.**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

Kyoya watched as Haruhi started to turn, in the beginnings of nightmare-induced thrashing. Isamu, still sound asleep, tightened his hold on Haruhi and curled himself deeper into her body. To Kyoya, the pair looked as though they were fighting off the same nightmare.

He smiled at them before closing the door quietly and heading back to the others for some much-needed sleep.

* * *

_**And now...**_

The following morning, Kyoya woke up early to make breakfast for himself, Haruhi, Isamu, and the rest of the hosts. Unlike the last time he had attempted this feat, Kyoya was successful. By the time the other hosts woke up, various breakfast foods littered the table. Kyoya was about to check on the rest of his family when Isamu entered the kitchen, looking scared and somewhat downtrodden.

"What's wrong, Isamu? Didn't you sleep well?" Kyoya asked.

"It's not me...it's Haruhi...she woke up, but she won't stop crying." Isamu answered, his bottom lip quivering.

"Why don't you go have some breakfast, and I'll check on her for you."

When Isamu nodded, looking slightly more upbeat, Kyoya headed to Haruhi's bedroom. He heard the sounds of muffled sobs, like she did not want anyone else in the house to worry about her. Kyoya burst through the door, startling Haruhi, and went over to her bed. He wore a soft expression and climbed onto her bed before wrapping his arms around her.

Kyoya was no expert on women, and he was known to be anything but tactful when a woman was crying. But this was _his_ woman, _his_ Haruhi, and Kyoya knew that Haruhi preferred silence when someone comforted her. He rubbed her back gently and tried everything he could think of to calm her down. When nothing worked, Kyoya hugged her tighter and tilted his head so that it was right next to her ear.

"What's wrong, Koi?" He asked softly.

Haruhi's breath hitched, and there was a break in her sobbing before she clung tighter to him and mumbled something incoherent. Her sobbing was not making it easy for Kyoya to understand her, so he pushed her away from him to look at her face.

"What was that, Haruhi?" He asked, looking into her red-rimmed eyes.

"My dad..." She whispered brokenly.

"Ranka-san? Where is he? We made dinner and breakfast for him, but he hasn't come home yet."

"He...he..." She continued to blubber.

"He what, Haruhi?"

"He's dead!" Haruhi wailed as she threw herself back into his arms.

Kyoya couldn't even think straight. Ranka was dead? This had to be a sick joke. His arms were limp at his sides as he processed the information.

"Are you sure?" He asked, hoping she said it was just some sick joke.

"I found the body..." She mumbled in response, still crying.

He couldn't believe his ears. Kyoya wrapped his arms around his sobbing girlfriend and tried to shush her. All of this crying could not have been good for her health. Twenty minutes later, Haruhi was hyperventilating from her nonstop crying.

"Hush, Haruhi...it'll be okay. We'll get through this together. Just calm down...breathe." Kyoya whispered soothingly into her ear.

Slowly but surely, Haruhi's breathing returned to normal, and she fell asleep in Kyoya's arms. Kyoya sat with Haruhi in his arms, rubbing her back gently.

He kissed the top of her head and thought about the situation. The letter all made sense now, and Kyoya had to keep himself from smacking himself. It was all so obvious...Ranka had died, leaving Haruhi all alone. But she had Isamu, Kyoya, and the other hosts so she would not be alone. He would make sure of it.

"Hey, Kyoya, how is-" Tamaki poked his head into the room.

Kyoya put a finger to his lips to shush him and pointed to Haruhi's sleeping form. Tamaki nodded and lowered his voice.

"We put your breakfast in the fridge, and we made up a plate for Haruhi, too. I have to leave for a meeting with my family's company, and the twins have something to do as well. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are going to leave so that you three can have some peace and quiet."

Kyoya nodded and mouthed a thank you.

"Call us if you need anything, and let me know when Ranka-san gets back." Tamaki did not wait for an answer. He shot the pair a sympathetic smile and left the room.

Over the next hour, Kyoya tried to keep Haruhi asleep. She would periodically shift and groan, so Kyoya kept her close to him, knowing that Haruhi needed sleep. Eventually, he decided that she needed to eat something, and he needed to check on Isamu as well. Kyoya gently shook her awake.

"Haruhi, do you want to try to eat something? I know Isamu is eager to see you awake and alright."

She moaned in protest but opened her eyes and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, Haruhi looked at Kyoya.

"Breakfast? But who..."

"I did. And this time I didn't burn it or make anything explode. It all looks edible." Kyoya said, proud of his accomplishment.

Haruhi smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. Kyoya looked into her eyes, which were dull. The light had been extinguished. Holding her against him, Kyoya stood up. He gently pushed her toward the kitchen, where Isamu was waiting with a large smile on his face.

He had set out three places for them. As soon as he saw Haruhi sluggishly making her way to the kitchen, Isamu rushed forward to hug her.

"Haruhi! You're better! Look what I made for you. I had to draw one, because those rich guys wouldn't let me leave to pick some flowers…" Isamu pouted as he handed her a crayon portrait of a flower.

**_Haruhi_**

Haruhi took the picture from the boy's hands and hugged it to her chest, tears threatening to fall again. Isamu leaned forward and hugged her waist tightly…the dam burst, and the tears fell in torrents.

"Mama? D-Did I do something wrong?" Isamu asked her worriedly.

Haruhi leaned down to his level and took him into her arms. "No, baby…it's just…I love it very much. Oh, Isa-chan, I love you so very much…you know that, right?" She waited for him to nod before continuing. "Good…never forget that I love you so much…I'm never going to leave you…"

Isamu gave her a confused look but wrapped his arms around her. He seemed worried about her.

"I don't know what's wrong, Haruhi…but it's tearing you apart…" Isamu told her, sounding much older than her age. He smiled sheepishly at her when she gave him a surprised look. "One of the big guys…uhm…Kaoru-sama I think…he said that. I love you, Mama, and Kyoya and I are going to be here for you no matter what."

Kyoya coughed from behind her and moved forward to pick her up. He set her at the table and placed a plate of breakfast in front of her.

"You made this?" She asked, in awe about his newfound talent.

"Of course I did." Kyoya answered, smiling slightly.

As if to answer, Haruhi's stomach grumbled angrily. She blushed furiously and picked up her fork, but it did not look appetizing to her. With her raging depression, Haruhi did not feel much like eating. She continued to push the food around on her plate.

"Haruhi? Aren't you going to eat?" Kyoya asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't feel like it…" She answered sadly.

"Please try to eat something. At least a bite or two." He encouraged her.

"Haruhi, Kyoya worked really hard on this meal…" Isamu said, trying to convince her to eat.

Haruhi huffed lightly and took a bite of her eggs. As soon as the food made its way down her throat, Haruhi felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. She threw the fork down on the table and bolted for the bathroom.

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya had no idea that Haruhi's depression had such a large impact on her health.

"Isamu, stay here and enjoy your breakfast, okay?" He told the boy, not waiting for an answer before rushing off to the bathroom.

Haruhi's small form was hunched over the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Kyoya grimaced slightly in worry and made his way forward. Crouching behind her, Kyoya held Haruhi's hair up and rubbed circles into her back.

When she was done, Haruhi leaned back against Kyoya, who held her shaking form to him tightly.

"Are you alright?" He asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. What a stupid question to ask someone who had just lost her father.

Haruhi did not answer him, and instead sagged against his body. Her shaking had gotten worse, so Kyoya held her closer to him. Haruhi's mental health was at stake; that was for certain. But he now realized that her physical health was at risk as well. She was not sleeping well, and the inability to keep food down was a dangerous side effect of her emotions.

"I'm so sorry, Haruhi…" He whispered into her ear. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

He tried to soothe her, but Haruhi was not easy to calm down. Kyoya's heart went out to her, and he really hoped that he would eventually be able to break through to her. He wanted her to see that he loved her very much. Kyoya wanted her to know that even though she had lost her father, Haruhi would never be truly alone.

Kyoya rocked Haruhi in his arm and kissed her hair. "I'm so sorry, Haruhi..."

Finally, Haruhi calmed down enough that Kyoya could pick her up and take her back to her room. He set her gently on the bed and stroked her face lovingly.

"I swear on my life, Haruhi, you will never be alone." Kyoya whispered.

"Is she okay?" Isamu piped up from the doorway.

"With enough love from her darling men, I think she should be." Kyoya replied.

Isamu smiled at him and walked into the room. Kyoya watched as Isamu climbed up on the bed and curled up next to her. The young boy put his arm around Haruhi's neck as an attempt to hug her.

"Isamu, why don't you talk to her for a bit while I go do the dishes?"

Said boy nodded and proceeded to chatter to the woman in the bed while Kyoya made his way to the kitchen. Kyoya put the remains of breakfast into containers and washed the dishes.

Ranka had asked him to take care of Haruhi by any means necessary...Kyoya supposed that meant bringing her to live with him. He was unsure of how his father would react to having yet another member of the family, but he knew that he would need to help Haruhi. There was no way that she could take care of herself and maintain the apartment. She might get lucky to get a job over the summer, but once school started up again in the Fall, Haruhi would need to give it up.

Drying his hands, Kyoya made his way back to the room, where Isamu was cuddled into Haruhi's shoulder, tracing patterns on her stomach and telling her some sort of story about his teddy bear, Kyo.

"Isamu, may I speak with Haruhi for a little bit?"

"Sure! I think she missed you." Isamu suddenly looked downtrodden again.

"What's wrong, Isamu?" Kyoya asked.

"I don't think she missed me..." The boy answered.

"Of course she missed you, Isamu! Haruhi loves you so very much. She is just having a hard time right now. Isamu, may I tell you something? You have to promise not to tell the other big guys who were here."

"Sure! What is it?" Isamu perked up at the thought of knowing something that few others did.

"Haruhi lost her father the other day...she's all alone now." Kyoya told the boy.

"But...but..." The boy's lip trembled. "She isn't really alone, is she? She has us!"

"Of course she has us, Isamu! You're such a smart boy. You and I are going to keep Haruhi company and keep her from feeling lonely, okay?"

He nodded eagerly before continuing out of the room. Kyoya moved forward and sat beside Haruhi.

"Haruhi? I found a letter from your father. He left one for you as well. He wanted me to take care of you in the event of anything happening to him. How would you like to stay with Isamu and myself from now on?"

Haruhi turned glazed eyes to Kyoya and managed a small smile.

"Is that a yes?"

She nodded in response.

"Then we'll pack your things up for you and have them sent to the Ootori mansion. You are welcome to stay in my room or Isamu's room or a room of your own. I think we'll move you there within the next few days. What do you think?"

Again she nodded. "Thank you..." She croaked weakly.

"Anything for you, Koi." Kyoya smiled at her and kissed her on the lips.

That night, Kyoya and Haruhi were laying in bed when Isamu creeped in.

"Isamu? Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Kyoya asked, looking at the boy curiously.

"I...I couldn't sleep..." He confessed.

"Did you want to come sleep with us?"

The boy nodded and wiggled his way between Haruhi and Kyoya. Haruhi had not spoken all day, and she had not done much of anything. She seemed lost in her own world.

Kyoya had spent the day trying to coax her out of her room to eat something, but Haruhi refused. In all honesty, Kyoya was becoming frustrated with her. He had exploded on her at one point or another.

**Flashback**

It was dinner time, and Kyoya had made pasta for the three of them.

"Isamu, would you do me a favor and set the table while I go get Haruhi?" Kyoya asked.

"Of course!" He seemed excited at the prospect of interacting with his Mama again.

Kyoya walked into Haruhi's room and gently tapped her shoulder.

"Haruhi, I made dinner...do you want to come out and eat something? We haven't seen you all day. You've hardly eaten..."

She shook her head and moved her hand to his leg. Kyoya assumed it was some sort of apology, but at the moment, he was fed up with Haruhi's behavior.

"Look, Haruhi. Your father died; I understand that. But you shouldn't be doing this to yourself. Your father wouldn't want you to do that to yourself. He left you in my care, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you waste away like this."

Haruhi remained emotionless.

"Haruhi, look at me. Isamu is out there and worried about you. I'm worried about you. The hosts are worried about you. Stop doing this to yourself! It's ridiculous! I didn't make food for you so that you would let it sit there. You are going to come out and eat some food whether you like it or not."

In response, Haruhi turned away from him.

"This is stupid. Haruhi, I'm not going to fight about this. Come and eat something. You're behaving like a child! Stop being a baka and come eat something!"

He continued to berate her for her behavior over the next ten minutes until he realized that her shoulders were shaking. Kyoya knew that he had lost his temper and had taken it out on someone who really did not deserve it.

"Oh, Haruhi...Kami...I'm so sorry..." He tried to apologize, but she shrugged him off and faced the wall.

Feeling defeated, Kyoya left the room. He hadn't meant to lose his temper like that, but it had just...happened. Two hours later, there was still no sign of Haruhi, and Kyoya had fully calmed down. He went into her room and checked on her.

"Haruhi? Are you awake?"

She shifted on the bed.

"Listen...er, Haruhi...I'm so sorry about earlier...I don't even know what happened. I am appalled at myself for snapping at you. You really didn't deserve it, and I shouldn't have done it."

No response from the woman on the bed. Kyoya took a few steps forward.

"Haruhi, did you want to spend some time with Isamu before I put him down for bed?"

She turned around to face him and smiled slightly, so Kyoya called Isamu into the room. As soon as the boy poked his head in the door, Isamu bolted towards Haruhi and glomped her.

"Mama! I was so bored all day! I didn't have anyone to play with, so I drew you a picture!"

Kyoya could not help but smile at the scene of Haruhi with Isamu on her lap, and he left the room to give them some privacy.

**End Flashback**

* * *

_**And I think that's where we'll end it for now! I might not post another chapter for a couple of weeks, as I am going to be on vacation in Hawaii for two weeks. I'll see about moving the story to my external hard drive and taking it with me on my tablet...It might give me something to do in my free time! **_

_**Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I already have half of the next chapter written, and I am going to warn you about a major breakdown coming up...well...okay, a minor breakdown...but by a major character. **_

_**Until next time!**_

_**~Rose**_


	5. Chapter 5

Hello my lovely readers! I'm baaaaaack!

I really wanted to post a chapter yesterday when I got back, but I didn't have the mental capacity to walk up the stairs, much less post a new chapter...sorry!

I just really need to tell you all this before we continue with our story...we were on the Big Island, and there is a place called Isamu Oshima...Isamu..._**ISAMU!**_

I was so excited when I saw that...sorry!

Anywho, on with the story!

P.S. One of my most amazing readers is back on the train! Welcome to the third installment, Granted Forever! And to all of my other reviewers, welcome to the next chapter! :D

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Previously...**_

"Haruhi, did you want to spend some time with Isamu before I put him down for bed?"

She turned around to face him and smiled slightly, so Kyoya called Isamu into the room. As soon as the boy poked his head in the door, Isamu bolted towards Haruhi and glomped her.

"Mama! I was so bored all day! I didn't have anyone to play with, so I drew you a picture!"

Kyoya could not help but smile at the scene of Haruhi with Isamu on her lap, and he left the room to give them some privacy.

End Flashback

* * *

_**And now...**_

When Isamu had come out yawning, Kyoya had put him to bed on the futon in the living room and went back into Haruhi's room to apologize. She had forgiven him immediately. At least, he assumed she had, as she had gone from showing him her back to burying herself in Kyoya's chest.

So here they were, Isamu smushed between the two teens, who were embracing each other over Isamu. Kyoya felt Isamu shift to face him.

"What is it, Isamu?"

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

"I don't know, buddy. What do you have in mind?" Kyoya asked, taken by surprise.

"Can we...go to the park?" He seemed excited...again.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask Haruhi?"

The boy shifted in bed to face Haruhi, whose eyes were closed. Gently, Isamu reached up and poked her cheek.

"Haaaaruhi..."

"Don't wake her, Isamu. If she's tired, let her sleep." Kyoya admonished quietly.

"What is it, Isa-chan?" Haruhi asked dully.

Isamu turned and stuck his tongue out at Kyoya before turning back to Haruhi. "Can we go to the park tomorrow?"

"I suppose we could...but you have to go to sleep within the next half hour if we are to go." Haruhi teased lightly. Kyoya could still see the sadness that clung to her eyes. It was unshakable.

"Okay! Goodnight! I love you guys!" Isamu rushed to say before curling into Haruhi, as per the usual, and closing his eyes.

"It's good to hear your voice again, Haruhi..." Kyoya whispered.

"I'm sorry, Kyoya..." She spoke softly.

"Don't apologize, Haruhi. If you don't feel like talking or eating or sleeping or...whatever...you don't have to. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"If you expect me to sleep in the next half hour, then you two have to shush..." Isamu growled grumpily, his voice muffled by Haruhi's night shirt.

The two smiled softly at each other.

"I love you so much, Haruhi...and I'm sorry..." Kyoya whispered.

"I love you too, Kyoya...don't apologize...you're worried. It's understandable. I love you no matter what, so don't apologize..." Haruhi answered as she closed her eyes.

The small family went to sleep that night feeling slightly lighter.

Until Haruhi started to breathe heavily in her sleep. Kyoya was a light sleeper by nature, so any change in Haruhi's sleep woke him up immediately. He looked at the clock and saw that it was just after midnight.

Haruhi was thrashing around slightly, but thanks to Isamu's heavy sleeping, he remained asleep. Kyoya stood up and made his way to Haruhi's side of the bed.

"Haruhi." Kyoya shook her slightly. "Haruhi, wake up." He shook her slightly harder.

She woke up with a gasp and clung to the closest warm body, who happened to be Kyoya. Kyoya sighed lightly and picked her up. The pair made their way to the kitchen, and Kyoya put Haruhi by the table. He set a kettle of water on the stove and walked back to the room to make sure Isamu was tucked in.

No words were exchanged until the water had boiled and the mugs of tea were in front of each teenager.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kyoya asked, looking down at his tea.

Haruhi shook her head and glanced at the mug in front of her. Kyoya watched her closely as she pushed the mug across the table and moved her chair so that it was right next to Kyoya. She pulled the warm mug into her hands and leaned her head to rest on Kyoya's shoulder.

Kyoya remained silent as he watched her take a slow sip of the tea. Haruhi's mouth was pulled into a deep frown, and it looked as though she was fixing to cry again.

"Haruhi? What's wrong?" Kyoya asked worriedly.

"Kyoya...I need to leave this house...there are too many memories here...I see my dad around every corner..." She mumbled tiredly.

"Alright. That can be arranged...we'll go to the park with Isamu tomorrow, and I'll have my people move your things to the Ootori mansion in the meantime...we'll stay here for the day and leave around dinner time. How does that sound?"

She nodded her head in agreement. "Thank you..." Her voice was thick with tears.

"Anything for you, Haruhi." He kissed the top of her head.

They finished their tea, and Haruhi eventually fell asleep on Kyoya's shoulder. He smirked and picked her up, carrying her to her room and laying her on the bed. Once Haruhi was tucked in, Isamu immediately sought out her warmth, and Kyoya could not help the pride that swelled within him at the sight of his family.

Returning to the kitchen, Kyoya sat at the table and took in the ghostly feel of the apartment. It was not the same without Ranka's presence. Slowly, Kyoya's mask fell. Now that Haruhi was in bed, Kyoya could allow himself to be vulnerable, as he did not have to force himself to be strong for her. One tear slipped down his cheek; then another...and another...until they fell without mercy. Ranka Fujioka had been more of a father to Kyoya than Kyoya's own father ever was. He kept entertaining conversation and always challenged Kyoya mentally in their encounters. Of course, Ranka's daughter, Kyoya's girlfriend, was just as fiery and brimming with intelligence. However, it would never be the same without Ranka.

A sob passed Kyoya's lips unbidden. He planted his elbows on the table and buried his head into his hands. He had lost the closest thing to a father he had had in a while, but he had also lost a very good friend. Kyoya had never lost anyone close to him, and it scared him to be in this position right now. He was vulnerable only because Haruhi was not with him. When Haruhi was around, Kyoya had to be strong for her and put up a front.

Another sob escaped him. What could have been so terrible in Ranka's life that he would go so far as to take his own life? Kyoya could not help the anger that surged through him. Did he not think of his only daughter? How could the man have been so selfish? He was living a life of personal torment, knowing that he had to protect Haruhi and keep her from doing anything drastic but at the same time keep his own feelings in check. All in all, Kyoya did not feel as though he was fit for the job. Sure, he loved Haruhi with every fiber of his being, but he did not know how much longer he could hide his anguish from her.

The tears continued to fall unchecked, and sobs periodically left his mouth. Kyoya knew that Haruhi had just lost a father, but he could not help but be envious of the support she had. The hosts took care of her, even though they did not know what had befallen their princess. Had Kyoya been the one in a heap, the hosts would have sent him to an institution. He felt so utterly alone at that moment. No one could know of his anguish, no matter how badly he needed a shoulder to cry on.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his midsection and a head rested on his shoulder. Kyoya almost jumped out of his skin at the contact.

"Kyoya...what is it?" The newcomer asked groggily.

"Nothing, Haruhi...go back to bed. I'll be there soon."

Instead of letting go, Haruhi pulled him up and dragged him to the futon. "This is where I found him..."

Kyoya felt a chill run through his body. Why did he need to know this?

"He was so...cold...when I found him. I didn't know what to do." She stopped and turned to face him.

A couple more tears ran down his face, and Haruhi wiped them away gently.

"After everything was settled at the hospital and I got back home, I felt so alone. I was scared and I was suffering...but most of all, I felt completely alone. What I'm trying to say is that I know how you feel, and I want you to know that you aren't alone in this. And I'm sorry that I didn't notice sooner...I lost a father, but you lost a good friend..."

Her voice cracked at the end, and Kyoya pulled her into his arms. The two sat down on the futon, the one that had held Ranka in his final moments of life. They cried together, letting each other be vulnerable.

The next thing Kyoya knew, he was waking up on the futon in the living room. He was tangled in Haruhi's limbs, and she was curled into his chest like a small child. Kyoya smiled genuinely as he remembered the night before. He had never really shown that much emotion in the span of one day and all to one person. And the woman in his arms had taken in every side of him. Through the death of Ranka, Haruhi and Kyoya wound up closer than ever before.

Isamu came running out of the bedroom with tears in his eyes. "Mama?!"

Kyoya quickly disentangled himself from Haruhi and ran to the boy to shush him. He did not want to wake Haruhi unnecessarily.

"Isamu, what is it? What happened?" Kyoya mumbled sleepily as he tried to meet the boy's gaze.

"I woke up and you two weren't there...we all fell asleep together, didn't we?" The boy asked, his jaw quivering.

"Yes, we did. But Haruhi had a bad dream, so I brought her out to the kitchen for some tea to calm her down."

"Oh..."

"Yeah...are you alright, Isamu?"

"I was just scared...I'm sorry..."

"Why don't I make some breakfast and you go keep Haruhi company. She should be up in a little bit."

The boy nodded eagerly and walked over to his Mama. Kyoya watched him lay down next to her and hug her sleeping form. Smiling lightly to himself, Kyoya went into the kitchen and got together the last of the food in the Fujioka's kitchen. He managed to whip up something that looked edible then made his way back over to Haruhi.

"Wake up, Haruhi...I've made breakfast."

Haruhi stirred and opened her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Isamu, who had fallen into a light sleep. The boy stirred as well and sat up.

"Are we going to food now?" He asked groggily.

"Well...we're going to eat now...I don't know about...er...fooding." Kyoya responded. He saw Haruhi crack a small smile while Isamu giggled.

The three walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Isamu dug into his food hungrily. Kyoya ate slowly as he surveyed Haruhi's behavior. Once again, she was pushing the food around with dull eyes.

"Do you not want to eat again, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked lightly. He did not want to make her upset, but he was truly worried about her.

She shook her head sadly and set her fork down. "I'm sorry..." She muttered.

"Don't worry about it, Haruhi. Go get your things together and get ready for the day." He suggested.

Haruhi nodded and walked away, leaving Isamu and Kyoya alone at the table.

"Is everything okay?" Isamu asked.

"Of course it is. Why do you ask?" Kyoya replied, plastering a fake smile on his face.

"You don't have to lie to me." The boy pouted. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid..."

"Well, Isamu...Haruhi has been feeling down lately because of her father's death...and she does not want to be in this place anymore."

"But why not? This is her home, isn't it?"

"It is." Kyoya nodded. "But there are too many memories here, and it makes her miss her father."

The boy nodded, deep in thought. Suddenly, a wide smile bloomed on his face.

"Does that mean she's going to live with us?" He asked hopefully.

Kyoya nodded. "Yes, she is. But she might not be back to her old self for a while, so we just have to be super understanding, alright?"

Isamu nodded and finished his breakfast. Once they were done with their breakfast, Isamu helped Kyoya wash the dishes. The small boy stood on a chair and dried the dishes as Kyoya washed them.

"So she's moving in with us? When?" Isamu asked, drying a plate.

"Tonight. We'll spend the day at the park while some people from the mansion come to get her things."

"Are we going to help her pack?"

"If you want to, we can."

Isamu set the dry plate down and hopped off the chair before running to Haruhi's room. Kyoya set off after the boy.

"Hey, Haruhi, did you want me to start packing the kitchen up?" Kyoya asked as he entered the room.

She merely nodded tiredly as she set articles of clothing into a duffel bag. Kyoya felt compelled to check on his girlfriend, so he walked up to her and kneeled in front of her. Carefully, he grabbed her chin and turned it towards him.

"Haruhi, I know you lost your father, but I would really like to see you at least smile…for Isamu's sake…" He whispered.

Haruhi looked up at Kyoya through tired eyes. "I…I don't know if I can…please believe me, Kyoya…I'm trying…"

"Mama?" A small voice came from the doorway. "You don't have to smile if you don't feel like it…"

The boy walked in, dragging a large duffel bag behind him. He dropped it on the floor and walked forward to embrace Haruhi. Kyoya scooted forward and joined them. He allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. All of them had lost someone special, and the only way they would get through it was if they had each other to lean on for support.

* * *

Okay, just a warning for this chapter and the next few...Haruhi is going to become confusing...almost bipolar...but try to stay with me on this one, please! She just lost her daddy!

Golly, it still kills me that I did that!

Please leave a review! The next chapter should be up by this weekend!

Until then!


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hello all! First off, I am so incredibly sorry for letting you all down! I wasn't feeling the whole posting-a-chapter thing...it's been one of those weeks. Either way, I'm so sorry! So I'm going to post the next chapter by Sunday as a way to make up for it. **_

_**I am so glad that you all are enjoying this story so much! It makes me so happy to read your encouragement! I want all of you to know that I value your support and feedback. :) You guys are the bomb!**_

_**I need you guys to bear with me for the next few chapters...Haruhi is going through a very tough time, so she's going to be a bit hard to deal with. And Kyoya...heh...I've got plans for him...**_

_**But I won't give too much away! On with the story!**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

"Hey, Haruhi, did you want me to start packing the kitchen up?" Kyoya asked as he entered the room.

She merely nodded tiredly as she set articles of clothing into a duffel bag. Kyoya felt compelled to check on his girlfriend, so he walked up to her and kneeled in front of her. Carefully, he grabbed her chin and turned it towards him.

"Haruhi, I know you lost your father, but I would really like to see you at least smile…for Isamu's sake…" He whispered.

Haruhi looked up at Kyoya through tired eyes. "I…I don't know if I can…please believe me, Kyoya…I'm trying…"

"Mama?" A small voice came from the doorway. "You don't have to smile if you don't feel like it…"

The boy walked in, dragging a large duffel bag behind him. He dropped it on the floor and walked forward to embrace Haruhi. Kyoya scooted forward and joined them. He allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. All of them had lost someone special, and the only way they would get through it was if they had each other to lean on for support.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Haruhi_**

Haruhi smiled slightly as she felt her boys' arms around her. With them to support her getting through her father's death seemed a little bit less scary.

The three of them worked together to pack up the remainder of the house. Haruhi picked up her mother's picture frame and started back for her room when her eyes caught something sitting on the table. Another picture frame and a large manila envelope glared at her from their place on the table. Cautiously, Haruhi walked over to the items and opened the envelope. A thick packet of papers nearly tumbled out.

Flipping through the pages, she noticed that there were several official-looking documents followed by four pages of notebook paper covered so completely with writing that she couldn't tell what the original color of the paper had been.

"Mama?" She heard Isamu call out to her.

"Uh...y-yes?" Haruhi cleared her throat as she tried to hold back the tears. This was most likely the last thing her father had ever done...and it was for her.

"What's that?" He toddled up to her.

"It...it's..." She was not sure how much to divulge. How much did Isamu know about the situation?

"Is it from Ranka-ojiisan?" Now the boy was sitting cross-legged in front of her.

With shaking hands, Haruhi separated the papers. The official-looking papers turned out to be her father's deed, which she was sure she would read over later...possibly with a lawyer...and...wait.

She was still in high school! Kami! She shouldn't have to deal with this...Haruhi just wanted to be like every other high schooler, whose biggest worry was where to go for summer vacation. She didn't want to worry about finding a lawyer and planning a funeral service and being an...an...orphan.

Haruhi shuddered. The word seemed like a death sentence. It was such a hollow word, such a lonely word. Tears flowed from her eyes once more, and Haruhi barely registered Isamu climbing into her lap.

"Look what I found when we were packing up Ranka-ojiisan's room!" He seemed nervous, as though he wanted nothing more than for her to stop crying.

In Isamu's hands were a few photographs. Haruhi gazed down at the first one and smiled slightly through her tears. She remembered that day very well. Her mother had been at work, leaving her father to take care of her for the day. He had taken her to the park, and she had fallen off the swing as small children are prone to do. Haruhi remembered how much her father had fretted over her skinned knees and scratched hands. That had been his first encounter with an injured child, so of course he went overboard with the first aid. He had rushed her home and proceeded to wrap several layers of gauze and tape around each knee followed by two humongous bandages on her hands. When her mother had arrived home that day, Haruhi remembered, she had laughed whole-heartedly and snapped a quick picture of Haruhi with her doting father before explaining how everything worked to her father. Her father had wailed comically about his failure to protect his daughter, and four-year-old Haruhi had taken it seriously. She had toddled up to him and wrapped him in a hug, telling him that she did not blame him. They had gone back to the park for a dinnertime picnic. Haruhi remembered it so vividly, as it was the first time her father had ever taken care of her. She swore he had wanted to put her in a plastic bubble or wrap her in bubble wrap…or possibly both…after that day. That was also the day that Haruhi found out her father's propensity for over-exaggeration.

"…and you were so cute!" Isamu seemed to just be finishing a thought when Haruhi came back from Memory Lane.

"That was the first time my dad ever took care of me." Haruhi smiled lightly down at Isamu.

"What happened? Why did you have to have so many bandages?" Isamu asked, seemingly worried for the four-year-old Haruhi.

"Isa-chan, you're going to find out that some fathers like to over-react…to everything. My dad was like that. I only skinned my knees and cut up my hands a little bit."

Isamu gave her a toothy grin and giggled a bit, probably imagining Ranka doing something like that. He flipped to the next picture.

Haruhi's bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. This was the last family picture of the three of them. It had been taken right before her mother had fallen ill. Haruhi was five at the time, and she and her parents had gone for a walk. The weather had been beautiful; the scent of flowers hung lightly in the air. Haruhi remembered looking up at her parents and musing about how beautiful they were. Her father had a light trace of stubble on his face, but he was grinning widely as he looked at his wife adoringly. Her mother had a magical light in her eyes. The sun had caught her face just perfectly in that moment, making her look like an angel in the young Haruhi's eyes. The candid picture had been taken by a family friend and given to them after Haruhi's mother had gotten ill. Her parents each held one of her hands, swinging her back and forth between them just a few inches from the ground. Both of her parents gazed lovingly at each other, and the little Haruhi was looking up at the two of them admiringly.

"Was this your mommy?" Isamu's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Y-Yes…" Haruhi's voice was shaky and hoarse.

"Don't cry, Mama. I'm sure your parents are having fun together. Maybe they found my mommy so she doesn't have to be lonely…" His eyes shone with childish excitement at the prospect of his mother having friends in the afterlife.

"I'm sure they did, Isa-chan. And I know that they are looking down on you and thanking you for taking care of me. Your mother is probably beaming with pride at how good of a job you are doing." A few tears slipped down her face, and Isamu reached up to wipe them away.

"I miss my mommy, too…" He said quietly as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Haruhi looked at him and could not help but pull him into her arms. The two sat and cried together.

"What's going on in here?" A deep voice pulled them from their cry-fest.

"K-Kyoya…" Haruhi gasped, lifting her head from Isamu's. She had nearly forgotten about him. "We were…um…"

"Reminiscing, I see?" He finished for her. Haruhi nodded slowly, handing him the pictures.

Kyoya walked forward and sat beside the pair, looking at the pictures thoughtfully. Haruhi watched as his eyes widened in surprise before he let out a low chuckle.

"So Ranka-san was always prone to over-reacting, huh?"

Haruhi nodded and put her head on Kyoya's shoulder. Isamu sniffled into her shirt. Haruhi rubbed his back comfortingly. The three of them spent the next few hours flipping through the stack of pictures. Haruhi would give her input from time to time, telling her boys the little anecdotes that accompanied each one.

**_Kyoya_**

There was a knock on the front door some time later. It was amazing how much history could be captured in a single photograph. Kyoya had learned so much about his girlfriend through the stories she had shared with them.

He opened the door and saw some of the men from his house standing there, ready to help Haruhi move out.

"We've got a few things left to pack, but you can start taking what we've gotten done." Kyoya told them as he led them to the kitchen, where multiple bags and boxes sat waiting.

Kyoya made his way back to Haruhi's room and saw her standing up and bouncing Isamu lightly.

"He started crying and can't seem to stop." She explained to him as she started humming to the boy.

"Too much thinking…" Kyoya mused.

Isamu and Haruhi were each other's support system, as they had both lost important people in their lives. Kyoya felt almost like an outsider, not fully understanding what it was like to lose a parent. Nevertheless, Kyoya was glad that they had each other.

He watched as Haruhi became the perfect mother. She rocked Isamu gently and patted his hair. She rubbed circles into his back and hummed tuneless melodies to him.

Eventually, Isamu stopped crying and was reduced to mere sniffling. Kyoya watched as Isamu hugged Haruhi around the neck and climbed down from her arms.

"Everything okay, Isamu?" Kyoya asked.

The boy nodded and walked over to him. Haruhi had gone silent when Isamu had stopped crying, leaving Kyoya wondering what was going through her mind.

"Isamu, why don't you go finish packing up the kitchen?" Kyoya suggested lightly.

When the boy left, Kyoya walked up behind Haruhi and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "What's on your mind, Koi?" He asked softly.

"It's my fault." She told him simply.

"What do you mean? What's your fault?" Kyoya was thoroughly confused.

"I brought up memories of his mother. It's my fault." She repeated, brushing past him and going into her father's room.

Kyoya's confusion peaked. Haruhi had gone from a motherly figure to an emotionless robot in less than ten seconds. He followed her to Ranka's room and saw her slowly putting his things into boxes to be sorted through later.

"Haruhi," he called from the doorway, "just tell me what happened."

She continued putting things away as though she had not heard him. Slightly miffed, Kyoya marched forward and stood in front of her. He bent down to her level and pulled her chin so that she was looking at him.

"Stop averting your eyes, Haruhi. Tell me what happened...please?"

"Ask him...I don't feel much like talking anymore." Haruhi told him brokenly.

"Why not, Haruhi?"

Kyoya watched her bottom lip start to quiver. One tear fell from her eyes...then another...and another.

"This is why..." She motioned to her face.

Kyoya pulled her to him. "Whatever helps, Koi..."

Normally, Kyoya would not have given in, but with Haruhi, Kyoya was putty. His personal rules meant nothing. He wanted to be there for Haruhi, and he knew that he could not be if she pushed him away.

Over the next hour Isamu, Kyoya, and Haruhi finished packing up the house and allowed Kyoya's men to take Haruhi's items away.

Kyoya glanced over at Haruhi and saw her looking blankly at the empty apartment. Isamu approached him and tugged on his hand.

"Are we not going to the park today?" He asked cutely.

"I'm not sure. Why don't you go ask Haruhi?" Kyoya suggested.

Isamu walked off towards Haruhi and asked the same question. Haruhi looked at the boy and managed a slight grin at him. It was not a full grin, and she still did not say anything, but it was a start. Kyoya walked over to the pair and grabbed Isamu's hand. Isamu linked his other hand with Haruhi's, and the three of them set out from the dismal apartment on their way to the park.

The entire way there, Haruhi remained silent, choosing to merely nod or shake her head at Isamu's jabbering. Kyoya managed to keep from rolling his eyes as Isamu switched to singing some odd rendition of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain," an American song he had most likely picked up from his time in the hospital. If the boy wasn't talking a million miles a minute, he was singing loudly and off pitch.

They spent hours at the park, only leaving when the sun went down, blanketing the city in dark blue. Kyoya pulled out his cell phone and called his driver, as there was no way he was going to walk the entire way back to his mansion.

While they waited, Isamu dragged Haruhi back over to the swing set before sitting down on one of the swings and asking her to push him. As Haruhi gently pushed the boy, Kyoya looked at her and saw a glimmer of happiness reach her eyes. It left just as soon as it had appeared, leaving Kyoya with some kind of hope that Haruhi would one day be alright again.

When the limo finally appeared at the entrance of the park, Kyoya corralled his family, and they headed back to the Ootori mansion.

"Dinner, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked when they got through the door.

Haruhi just shook her head and leaned on Kyoya's shoulder.

"I'll show you to your room, I suppose...Isamu, you can head to the kitchen and tell them what you want to eat. I'll come back down, and we can have dinner."

Isamu nodded and rushed forward to hug Haruhi, who returned the gesture. He then disappeared into the halls of the mansion.

Kyoya gently led Haruhi up the stairs and into the room allotted for her. Her bags and boxes were stacked against the wall neatly. Haruhi turned to him with dull eyes and hugged him tightly. Kyoya shivered when Haruhi's breath brushed against his neck.

"Goodnight, Haruhi...I love you." Kyoya told her as he led her to the bed.

Haruhi did not say anything in response but when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head into his neck, he knew the feeling was reciprocated.

Kyoya left her alone and made his way back downstairs. Tomorrow, he would have to try to feed her. It was unhealthy for her not to eat regularly. And now that she had decided not to talk for an undetermined amount of time, Kyoya was becoming even more worried.

* * *

_**Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please feel free to drop me a quick review if you have a few seconds. :)**_

_**Reviews really do make all the difference! **_

_**Anywho, I can't wait for you guys to read the next chapter. I think it's a pretty good one if I do say so myself! **_

_**Please drop a review if you can! See you all in the next chapter! By Sunday or your next two chapters will be posted in one day! **_

_**^Oh golly...what did I just get myself into...**_

_**Until next time! :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hello my lovely readers! As promised, here is the next chapter of HSIII! **_

_**I just wanted to start by saying thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! I recently had a reviewer go back and leave a review for all of the chapters they missed. I wanted them to know how much that meant to me. :)**_

_**And all of the wonderful reviews I received for the previous chapter...I just...wow...thanks! You all rock! :D**_

_**So here is the next chapter! Please enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

"Goodnight, Haruhi...I love you." Kyoya told her as he led her to the bed.

Haruhi did not say anything in response but when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head into his neck, he knew the feeling was reciprocated.

Kyoya left her alone and made his way back downstairs. Tomorrow, he would have to try to feed her. It was unhealthy for her not to eat regularly. And now that she had decided not to talk for an undetermined amount of time, Kyoya was becoming even more worried.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Haruhi_**

As soon as Kyoya closed the door, Haruhi reached over to her bedside table and pulled out the papers her father had left for her. She quickly changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, burrowing into her covers.

Haruhi curled into a tight ball and opened the envelope again. She pushed the important-looking papers aside and focused on her father's multi-page letter.

"My dearest Haruhi:

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this letter to you. I never thought it would get this bad, but I see no other choice. I want to start off by telling you that I am so incredibly sorry. I know that sorry will not atone for what I am about to do, but I cannot say anything else. Nothing I can say will make up for what I have done.

I have neglected you for so long, because I did not want you to suspect anything. I thought that if I pushed you away, you would not see that I was falling apart inside. But you were always like your mother. You could always tell when something was wrong. I don't know how you did it, but you knew that something was eating me up. And I am eternally sorry that I did not open up to you more.

I know that I am leaving you alone in this cruel world, and I know that it will not be easy to get back on your feet. But you need to know that your mother and I are so amazingly proud of you. We could not have had a finer daughter to raise. You are an amazing and smart young woman, my beautiful daughter, and I know that you will do so many wonderful things in your life.

About that man you are dating...don't let him go. I want you both to know that I give you my blessing when he finally pops the question. He would have asked anyway, so I think it only fair that I leave you two with that. He has been warned of the consequences of breaking your heart, so never fear, Haruhi dear! Kyoya will take care of you while you are picking yourself back up; this I know for a fact.

Your "son" will also help you out along the way. He holds a similar pain in his heart, and the two of you will no doubt become very important to each other in the aftermath of my decision. Please take care of him, and try to make sure he doesn't turn out an Ice King...

I know that you probably have a lot of questions and are at least a little bit upset with me for making such a decision. I know that what I have done will probably hurt you for a very long time, but I needed to do it. It has been such a long time since I've seen your mother's smiling face. You really are the spitting image of her, you know? Every time I look at you, it is like looking at her. I just could not do it anymore…I am so sorry, my sweet Haruhi. I cannot go on without her anymore.

For the past few months, I have been feeling very out of sorts. The doctor tried to give me medication to ease the pain, but it never really went away. I wish I could have told you this while I was still there with you...you may have been able to help me from the very beginning. But I did not want to worry you.

Haruhi, I want you to know that I will always love you so very much. Even though I cannot be there to hold you and kiss you goodnight anymore, I will always be there in your heart. Please do not blame yourself, Haruhi. And please do not be upset with yourself. You just reminded me so much of your mother...in a good way, I swear it.

You are a wonderful woman, and I would not like to see this break you. Trust me when I say that it was never my intention to hurt you. I simply could not be without my one true love any longer. She and I were never far apart when she was alive, and the fact that I could no longer wake up to her face made me spiral into a deeper depression than when she first passed.

Your mother and I will always be watching over you and keeping you safe. We both love you very much, Haruhi. We want to see you succeed and get into law school. We want to see you get married and eventually have children of your own. But above all, my dearest daughter, we want to see you live.

I do not want you to take your life or your health because of all of this. Please turn to Kyoya and Isamu-chan...do not let this take your life. Do not sacrifice the life you have over this. Your mother and I love you so very much, but we do not wish to see you so soon…

Always remember, my lovely Haru-chan, that none of this is your fault. You are the most amazing daughter a man could ever ask for, and I do hope that you forgive me for being such a terrible father and not being there for you. It was difficult to try to be both a father and a mother when your dear mother died…I'm afraid I failed to be either…

And make sure that Isamu gets the letter I wrote to him. It should be in your envelope. Make sure that he does not blame himself either…I will have been another loss to him in his young life. Take care of him, Haruhi…he loves you so much.

I love you so very much, Haruhi…never forget that.

There should be a flash drive…or a thumb drive…or whatever it is you kids call those things…in that envelope. It is a recorded version of this so that you will always be able to listen to my voice if you desire.

If you are going to be angry with anyone about all of this, please be angry with me. Let those who are trying to help you, help you. Don't do what I did. Don't push them away.

My darling daughter, I do hope that you listen to the recording I made…it may take some time before you are able to do so, but I would love it if you would.

I love you forever, Haruhi Fujioka. Never forget that.

With love from your cowardly father,

Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka"

By the time Haruhi was through reading the letter, she had tears streaming down her face. He was right about several things. For starters, she was incredibly mad at her father. To Haruhi, her father had not considered the outcome for her. She was an orphan now, and she could easily become part of the system. She would not be able to stay with the Ootoris forever.

Haruhi knew that no matter how many times she heard or read her father's apologies, she would never be able to fully forgive him. Did he not understand that she missed her mother as well? They could have tried to work through it together so that neither of them had to go through the pain alone. Granted it had been several years since her mother's passing, but it still hurt the both of them.

She re-read the letter until the words blurred together. Her father thought himself a failure? Haruhi's heart almost melted at that. Her anger dissipated, if only by a little bit, as she mentally assured her father that he was not a failure at all. She thought that he did a remarkable job as a parent. He single-handedly raised a child...a female child...one who had PMS for the record books. One who possessed a wicked attitude. Of course, when she was younger, her father had had to take her to the bar with him, but his friends always kept her entertained and away from the main area.

Even though Haruhi had lost her mother, her father had made sure that she was not without a support system. Her "mother figures" were all men in makeup, but Haruhi would never have traded it for the world.

"I love you, Daddy..." She whispered brokenly into the empty air. Her tears soaked the sheets around her, but she hardly noticed.

Haruhi laid down on her bed and curled into the comforter, her father's letter still grasped in her fingers.

It was a while before she became more rational and, in the interest of preserving the last shred of her father that she had, Haruhi placed the letter on the nightstand. Her head hurt, and the tears did not seem to want to quit.

Haruhi slowly let her eyes droop and eventually fell asleep.

Haruhi was running from something, but she could not fathom what she was running from.

"Help me!" She shouted. "Someone!"

"Haruhi!" She heard her father's voice calling for her.

"Dad! Daddy!"

Haruhi reached out into the darkness ahead of her, groping for something...anything. A cold hand gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her forward roughly. Soon, the darkness dissipated, and Haruhi was standing in a bright white room. Her father and mother were standing in front of her.

"Mom...Dad..." Haruhi whispered softly.

Her mother looked absolutely ethereal. Her long hair flowed around her beautifully. The cascading skirt of her white dress showed off her long legs. When she looked at her mother's face, she found it devoid of emotion. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

Her father looked angry. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his short hair flared around him. The white shorts and dress shirt he wore fit him perfectly.

"You know I blame you for this, right Haruhi? This is entirely your fault." His stoic voice rang through the vast emptiness.

"My fault?! How is it my fault?!" Haruhi wanted to scream at him, but she could not seem to find her voice.

"You were constantly reminding me of your mother, making me miss her every damn day. It is all your fault that I ended it. Who knows? It might even be your fault that your beautiful mother was taken from us."

Now that was a low blow. Tears stung Haruhi's eyes as she looked to her mother for some sort of support. Instead, Haruhi found that her mother had moved to stand behind her father. She had her arms wrapped tightly around his midsection in a supportive embrace, and as they faded away, the echoes of her father's accusation surrounded her, deafening her.

Haruhi was alone, completely and utterly alone. She curled up into a ball in the white abyss and let her tears fall. Sobs shook her terribly as she muttered, "It's not my fault...it isn't my fault..."

The next thing Haruhi was aware of, Kyoya was shaking her awake.

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya was usually a light sleeper, but with Haruhi in his care, he was an even lighter sleeper. Sometime around midnight, his eyes snapped open as his ears caught whimpers from the room next door.

"Come on, Haruhi…wake up. Don't do this to me. Wake up!" He tried shaking her awake when he rushed into the room.

She continued to whimper and thrash around in his arms. After a few more minutes of unsuccessfully trying to wake his terrified girlfriend, Kyoya pulled her into his chest.

"It's not my fault...it isn't my fault..." She whimpered pitifully.

"Wha…" Kyoya gaped dumbly.

Kyoya watched as Haruhi's eyes shot open, staring blankly at his chest. After a couple of minutes, Kyoya grew tired of just hearing the heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart. He gently grabbed Haruhi's chin and pulled her to face him.

"Haruhi?" He tried gently.

Her glossy eyes flickered to him then back to the cloth covering his chest.

"Was it another nightmare?"

Again, her eyes glanced at him then back to his shirt. Kyoya sighed and closed his eyes, crushing her tighter against his chest. Her sobs came back full force, shaking the two of them on the bed.

"Shh...shh...Haruhi, it's alright. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Was it about your father?"

Her wailing grew louder, indicating that he was correct.

"Hush, Haruhi...please..." He was begging now. The great Kyoya Ootori was begging. He hadn't begged anyone for anything since...since...his kidnapping...

Kyoya briefly contemplated introducing Haruhi to a therapist to get things off her chest, but he mused that Haruhi would close herself off even more. She was not speaking to him or Isamu, so chances were good that she would not speak to a therapist. But the truth was that Kyoya was worried about her. If she did not start talking to someone about what happened soon, Kyoya feared that Haruhi would implode.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kyoya tried to open her up, pushing her slightly away from his chest.

She merely shook her head and curled back into his nightshirt. Kyoya held her until her whimpers died down into hiccups. Eventually, her breathing evened out, and Kyoya set her back on the bed. He sat down beside her to watch over her in case of any more nightmares. She would probably be upset with him in the morning, but as long as he could make sure she was safe.

* * *

_**Daawww...Kyoya's such a sweetie! I wonder how long he can maintain his sanity? :D We shall see...**_

_**And Isamu will have a larger part in the next chapter...he's such a cutie...I love writing him... 3**_

_**Anywho, please leave a review is you have a couple of seconds! They really do mean a lot to me. **_

_**No telling when the next one will be up, though. It should be up within the next week, but I cannot make any promises! So much to do, so little time!**_

_**Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful week...or month...golly, I hope it doesn't take that long...**_

_**See ya!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hello, my wonderful readers! I am so sorry to have kept you guys waiting! Here is the next chapter! I made it extra long as an apology. **_

_**First, I wanted to thank all of the people who favorited and reviewed and followed my story so far! You guys are the best. Every review I get makes me so happy! It's like Christmas! **_

_**Second, I am so glad you all love Isamu. He's my little buddy, and it means so much to me that you guys like him! He's going to be playing an even bigger part in the story in the next few chapters. **_

_**Finally, I have a few reviewers who are guests to the site but happen to review every chapter. I so badly want to let them know how much I appreciate them keeping up with my story even though they have no way of knowing when I update. You guys rock!**_

_**Either way, please enjoy this chapter! **_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

Kyoya briefly contemplated introducing Haruhi to a therapist to get things off her chest, but he mused that Haruhi would close herself off even more. She was not speaking to him or Isamu, so chances were good that she would not speak to a therapist. But the truth was that Kyoya was worried about her. If she did not start talking to someone about what happened soon, Kyoya feared that Haruhi would implode.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kyoya tried to open her up, pushing her slightly away from his chest.

She merely shook her head and curled back into his nightshirt. Kyoya held her until her whimpers died down into hiccups. Eventually, her breathing evened out, and Kyoya set her back on the bed. He sat down beside her to watch over her in case of any more nightmares. She would probably be upset with him in the morning, but as long as he could make sure she was safe.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Haruhi_**

When Haruhi awoke the next morning, she found Kyoya beside her on the bed, lazily threading his fingers through her hair. His eyelids drooped with the weight of a night deprived of sleep, and Haruhi instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She sat up slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, pulling him back down to the mattress with her. Kyoya was out before the two of them met the pillows.

Haruhi shook her hear. He must have stayed up with her all night. She curled into his chest and closed her eyes, listening to the beating of his heart. His warm breath blew against the flesh of her shoulder.

She gazed up at him and sighed deeply. Haruhi felt terrible about this; she was being a burden to Kyoya. Kyoya and Isamu were taking such great care of her, and she was doing nothing in return. She couldn't do anything without thinking of her parents, and therefore breaking down into tears. Kyoya patiently held her every time she broke down, and Isamu clung to her as though he were trying to take away her pain. The boy must not have been awake yet, she mused. He had not shown his face in the room yet. She looked at the clock and almost smacked herself. It was six in the morning! So…Isamu wouldn't be awake…and she had deprived Kyoya of at least six hours of sleep.

Haruhi reached down and grabbed Kyoya's hand, clinging to him as he slept. He moaned once before falling back into a deep sleep. Thank Kami it was Summer. She would not have wanted to face Kyoya's wrath for having kept him up all night. He shifted in his sleep, holding her tightly to him.

"Nngh...Haruhi..." Kyoya groaned. He seemed to be in pain while he slept.

Haruhi raised her hand and gently touched his face, causing him to visibly relax. She hated seeing him in pain because of her. Shifting in his arms, Haruhi got comfortable and closed her eyes once more, falling asleep almost instantly.

Several hours and a dreamless sleep later, Haruhi found herself waking up to bright sunlight filtering into her room. Kyoya was still conked out, and Haruhi was glad for that. She still felt terrible for making him lose all of that sleep. It was nearly noon now, so Isamu should be wandering into the room any time now.

_Knock, knock._

Right on schedule.

"Can I come in?" She could barely hear his voice.

When she did not answer, Isamu took his own initiative and walked into the room. He walked over to the bed and climbed in, making Kyoya stir slightly.

Haruhi threaded her fingers through his hair, and Kyoya calmed down once again.

"Are we going to do anything today? Can we go back to the park?" Isamu whispered.

Haruhi had no will or energy to answer him, so she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Haruhi? Isamu?" Kyoya's tired voice came from the other side of the bed.

"Kyoya! Haruhi's not talking to me…is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" Isamu seemed frantic.

"No, Isamu…Haruhi is not mad at you, and I do not think she ever could be. She's going through a tough time right now, and I believe she feels bad that she breaks down every time she talks about something that reminds her of her father." Kyoya hypothesized. He looked to Haruhi, who nodded at him in approval.

"And because we love her very much," Kyoya continued, "we are not going to push her to get better before she is ready.

Isamu looked ready to pout, but Haruhi saw Kyoya shoot him a light glare that immediately silenced him.

After a few minutes of silence, Isamu grumbled, "I just wanted Mama to feel better..."

"And she will, Isamu-chan. We just have to help her get there. It's going to take some time before..."

Haruhi zoned him out until Kyoya's voice was just a low rumble in the back of her mind. She felt bad all over again...her boys were fretting and fussing over her, and all she could do was lay in bed and cry. Tears started rolling down her face at the realization. Haruhi felt utterly useless, completely vulnerable.

"Mama?" Isamu's voice broke through her train of thought. "Are you okay?"

The look on his face broke her heart even more, and she could not muster any words for him. Reaching out to Isamu, Haruhi pulled his small body into her chest and cried silently.

_And make sure that Isamu gets the letter I wrote to him. It should be in your envelope. Make sure that he does not blame himself either…_

The lines echoed in her mind. Haruhi sat up fully and reached to her bedside table, grabbing the large envelope her dad had left her. Rooting through the papers, Haruhi easily found a small envelope with Isamu's name on the front. She handed it to him and quickly left the room, not trusting herself to hold it together for the young boy.

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya watched Haruhi leave the room, probably to go to the bathroom he mused. He turned his attention back to Isamu, who was attempting to sound out a word in the letter.

"Do you need help, Isamu?" He asked, motioning for Isamu to pass him the letter.

Isamu nodded and gave the letter to Kyoya, who made himself comfortable before starting.

"Dear Isamu-chan,

I know I only met you a couple of times, but it was enough to leave an impression. You are an amazing young man, and I know you will go very far in life.

You, Kyoya, and Haruhi make a wonderful family, so please do not let my disappearance tear that apart. Listen to them and stay with them; I know they will protect you and keep you safe. Most of all, they love you so very much and will stay in your life no matter what.

I am very sorry to have left you so soon after meeting you, but I am sure that Haruhi and Kyoya will explain it to you when you are ready to hear it.

Take care of yourself, Isamu. And take care of your new family. You will all need each other at some point.

It was very nice to have met you, Isamu, and it was wonderful to have been able to call you my grandson. I love you.

Goodbye,

Ranka"

Kyoya looked down at the young boy, who looked up at him with tearful eyes.

"He wouldn't want you to be upset, Isamu." Kyoya told him, wiping away the tears.

"Do you think I caused it?" Isamu asked suddenly.

"Wh-what?" Kyoya was taken aback.

"Am I one of the reasons that Ranka-ojiisan is gone?" His lower lip trembled violently.

"Why would you think that, Isamu-chan?" Kyoya asked as he wrapped his arms around Isamu's small body.

"Because...I took Mama away from him...so he was lonely. And...and I made him feel bad. All I did was get in the way...he didn't deserve to be alone...I feel like I brought up old feelings...bad ones..." Isamu finally finished.

"Isamu...he didn't feel lonely because of you. He was feeling lonely regardless of your involvement. And he had been feeling bad for a long time. It isn't your fault, Isa-chan. I promise..."

The boy did not seem convinced, but he kept quiet. A light cough from the doorway caught his ears, and Kyoya turned to look. Haruhi stood there in her pajamas, clutching a glass of water. She looked sick...

Her face was drawn and tired, and dark bags decorated her eyes. Her hair was thin and equally as dull as her eyes. It stuck to her forehead from the light sheen of sweat she was sporting. Haruhi's skin was pale. Her hands were shaking almost imperceptibly, but Kyoya's keen eyes caught the movement.

He remembered Ranka telling him that stress and depression made Haruhi sick. This combined with not eating and hardly sleeping only had a negative outlook for his dear girlfriend.

"Haruhi-koi, why don't you come back to bed? You don't look very well..." Kyoya motioned to the spot beside him on the bed.

Kyoya suddenly felt like the mother of this small family. He was taking care of an emotionally unstable child and an emotionally wrecked teenage woman. Oh, Tamaki would have a fit if he had heard Kyoya's thoughts; he was finally accepting his role as 'mommy.'

Haruhi stumbled over to the bed and set her glass down on the nightstand. Kyoya watched with careful eyes as she flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Haruhi, what's on your mind?" Kyoya asked, not wanting to aggravate the situation.

He did not receive a spoken answer. Instead, he was rewarded with the sight of tears once again streaming down Haruhi's cheeks. Very gently, Kyoya pulled Haruhi to him while maintaining his grip on Isamu.

"It's alright, Haruhi. I'm going to make sure that it all turns out okay in the end. I promise." Kyoya told her firmly.

No further words were spoken as the three lay tangled in each other.

Kyoya felt absolutely terrible, as he could not relate to what his family was feeling. Isamu had lost his mother after never really knowing his father. Then he had lost his surrogate grandfather. Haruhi had just lost her father, the last remaining blood family she had. Kyoya felt that he had no business grieving when Ranka had been just a good friend to him. In reality, Ranka had been a second father to Kyoya, taking him in and forming a strong bond with him almost instantly.

They were more than friends, and Ranka had felt more like a father to Kyoya than his own father did.

He understood what Ranka must have been feeling, though. Losing the only woman he had ever loved, then waking up everyday to see a child who looked exactly like his only love...it cannot have been easy. Kyoya knew he would have done something similar had he been in Ranka's place. He did not know how he would have been able to persist for so long if Haruhi had died.

"We all miss you, Ranka-san..." Kyoya whispered inaudibly. He allowed a few tears to fall before turning back to his family.

Isamu was now in the sniffling stage, while Haruhi was still crying silently.

"Are you getting hungry, Isamu-chan?" Kyoya asked the boy.

"Not yet...I want to have breakfast with Mama." He replied. His stomach growled loudly in protest.

Isamu blushed cutely and looked down at the duvet.

"It's alright, Isa-chan. Just go, and I'll be down soon. We're going to make Mama breakfast in bed, okay?"

The boy nodded eagerly; his eyes glowed with the prospect of being able to help his Mama. He raced out the door and down to the kitchen.

Once Kyoya was sure that Isamu was out of earshot, he turned to Haruhi. She was pale and sweating. The tears rolling down her cheeks did not help her appearance either. A light pink tinge stained her cheeks, and her whole body shook with barely-suppressed sobs.

"Haruhi? What's wrong?" Kyoya asked, hoping she would answer him.

She simply turned over and faced him, her eyes shut tight. Kyoya reached out and felt Haruhi's forehead, remembering what Ranka had told her about the connection between her health and her emotions. He found her to be rather warm, not scalding as it had been in recent endeavors.

"Do you feel like eating anything today?"

She shook her head, her eyes still closed. Kyoya momentarily pondered the reasons for her not wanting to make eye contact. Maybe she thought he was disappointed in her? Maybe she viewed crying as a sort of weakness? Maybe she did not want to see the pity in his eyes?

Whatever was bothering her, Kyoya was not going to just let it slide. He put his finger under Haruhi's chin and pulled it up so that he would be looking directly into her eyes.

"Haruhi, look at me please."

She kept her eyes screwed shut.

"Please, Haruhi. Don't make me beg…"

It was silent for a few minutes before Haruhi decided to open her eyes. Kyoya saw the grief and self-directed anger pooling in her eyes. A wave of protectiveness surged over him, and he pulled her into his arms.

"I hope you don't think I'm disappointed or upset with you, Haruhi…I know you've just lost your dad, and I can imagine that it is going to take some time before you want to go back to your everyday routine. It's alright, Haruhi."

The anger dissipated slightly, but Haruhi suddenly looked guilty of something. Once she felt like talking again, he would remember to ask her.

"So how about some food, Haruhi?" He tried again.

She shook her head.

"Please, Haruhi? You're getting sick from all of this stress. Not eating and hardly sleeping is just going to make it worse." The worry that clouded his tone made him shudder internally. He never got this worried…about anyone…ever.

Even still, Haruhi shrugged. Kyoya wanted to smack the sense back into her. She did not care about her own health at all. What did she plan to do? Join her father? See her mother again?

"Haruhi, listen to me. I'm not going to force you to eat, but if you are trying to make your condition deteriorate, I urge you to think again. Isamu has lost too much already. Do you really want him to lose another important person in his life? Think about the hosts…they treasure you like no one else. Do you really want to leave them without their princess…without their best friend? Tamaki would be crushed; the twins would be devastated; Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai would never forgive themselves for not protecting you from yourself. Think about me…Haruhi, I love you so much. You are my world, my everything…if I lost you, I would not know what to do with myself. Most likely, I would end up taking my own life. I cannot live without you, and I refuse to idly watch while you waste away." He stared into her eyes, scanning them for any sign of emotion.

Haruhi stared right back, her eyes brimming with tears.

He saw Haruhi nod slowly before getting out of bed. She tripped once, and Kyoya was at her side in an instant. She tripped again and almost collapsed, and Kyoya scooped her up and placed her back in the bed.

"How about we eat in bed?" He suggested lightly.

Her face paled slightly, probably at the thought of food, but she nodded. Kyoya left the room in search of Isamu and the kitchen staff.

When he finally returned to the room, Kyoya saw Haruhi leaning back against the pillows of the bed, breathing heavily. He set the tray down on the nightstand and climbed onto the bed.

"Haruhi? Can you hear me?" His voice held a note of worry.

She simply groaned in response and put a shaky hand to her head. Kyoya was worried that this would happen. The stress was really not good for Haruhi's health...great. He had failed Ranka already. Haruhi had gotten sick, and it was his entire fault…or that's how he saw it.

"Here...cold water." He stated, handing her a glass of ice cold water.

She gulped it down as though her insides were burning up. Kyoya put a hand to Haruhi's head and pulled it back. Her fever had risen significantly.

"I told you it would get to you, silly girl…" He murmured, tucking her in.

Kyoya momentarily left the room to get a wet rag and some sort of fever reducer. He came back to see that Haruhi had completely conked out. He walked back over to her and shook her a bit.

"Haruhi, I need you to take this for me. Then you can go back to sleep."

She squinted at him and opened her mouth lazily, allowing him to give her the medicine and water before laying back down.

"'M sorry…Daddy…" Haruhi muttered thickly, her eyes closed.

Kyoya's heart clenched painfully. She was delirious now…how could this have happened? Haruhi had seemed fine when he left her there to get breakfast. Had she really gotten that bad in an hour?

"I'm sorry, Ranka-san…this is all my fault…" Kyoya whispered as he pulled the duvet up to Haruhi's chin.

There was a knock at the door followed by a meek voice, "Young Master?"

"What is it?" His voice was hard.

"Y-Your father is on the phone for you…" The voice squeaked. An arm appeared suddenly, thrusting a phone into the room.

"Thank you." He replied gruffly, taking the phone.

"Kyoya, I just heard about dear Haruhi. Is everything alright?"

In his worry over his small family, Kyoya had completely forgotten about the rest of the world.

"She's sick from the stress and taking her father's death pretty hard. Isamu is not taking it well either." Kyoya told his father stolidly.

"And you, Kyoya? How are you?"

This was a change for Kyoya. His father was not known for caring much about how others felt.

"I-I…I'll manage…" He stuttered.

"I'm coming home early today. I want to talk with you all, especially Haruhi."

"If she's up to it." Kyoya answered, his voice back to normal.

"Of course."

It was silent for a bit before Kyoya decided to voice his question.

"Father? What is this sudden change for?"

"I have always liked Haruhi, and I approve of your relationship with her. It looks good for the company that the Ootori family is reaching out to commoners in such a way. But…I also want to see you happy, Kyoya. The two of you together is something that I cherish. I may not have acted like it all these years, but I do love you. I've got to get back to this meeting if I am to leave early, but I will answer you further tonight, son. Take care of Haruhi and Isamu."

"I will, Father." Kyoya nodded, though his father could not see him.

"And Kyoya?"

"Yes, Father?"

"Take care of yourself, too."

"Yes, Father."

The call ended, and Kyoya turned back to his ailing girlfriend. Haruhi's breathing was closer to normal now, and her face was not as pale. Kyoya reached out to feel Haruhi's cheeks and found them still as hot as before. Worry creased his features. Haruhi's continued disregard for her health was going to land her in the hospital if she was not careful.

As Kyoya watched Haruhi, he heard her groan in her sleep. She turned towards him and snuggled into his lower body. He smiled slightly and caressed her face gently. When she nuzzled into his hand, he knew there might be a chance that she would get through this soon.

Kyoya felt terrible for Haruhi, knowing how much she hated being taken care of. He briefly wondered whether or not he would be the one taking care of her if they had never gotten together. Would there have even been a need for someone to take care of Haruhi if she and Kyoya had not gotten together? Then there was Isamu...would he be with them if Haruhi and he had not gotten together?

"Kyoya?"

He recognized Isamu's voice from behind the door.

"Come in." He whispered, so as not to disturb Haruhi.

"How is Mama doing?" Isamu asked.

"Not so well, I'm afraid. She's a bit sick."

"Is she going to need a doctor?" Isamu sounded worried.

"Hopefully not. That's going to be your job, Isamu. You get to help me take care of her so that she won't need a doctor."

The young boy saluted, and Kyoya felt a strange feeling bubbling up in his stomach. It moved to his chest and came out as a full-blown laugh. Isamu looked at him curiously.

"I-I'm sorry, Isamu-chan!" Kyoya gasped. "I don't know what's come over me..."

It was the truth. He had no idea what made him want to laugh; it had just spilled out before he could stop it. Perhaps it was his "emotionless" Ootori mindset that had tried to suppress his feelings for so long. At one point, he was bound to burst...

"You have a funny laugh, Kyoya." Isamu giggled slightly, climbing onto the bed.

"Oh do I?"

Isamu nodded, still giggling a bit. The two continued to talk quietly until Haruhi stirred.

"Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, not sure if she was coherent.

"Daddy..." Her voice was hoarse.

She must have still been out of it. Kyoya stroked the hair back from her face while Isamu looked on in worry. Kyoya had a feeling that he knew what to do in this situation. He felt terrible for lying to her, but Haruhi was delirious. To Kyoya, this was the best thing for Haruhi.

"Yes, er...Sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry...I should have paid attention..." She slurred.

"Whatever do you mean?" Kyoya was curious.

"Know you...miss Mom...should've been there..."

"Shh, Haruhi. I don't blame you at all. Your father...er...I couldn't face another day without your mother. It had nothing to do with you."

"Reminded you of her..." Haruhi's eyelids drooped again as her sentences shortened.

"Honey, it was nothing to do with you. I will always love you, baby girl. Your mother and I are very proud of you." Kyoya whispered, getting no more than an inch from Haruhi's ear. "We love you, dear daughter."

"Love you too..." She was on the brink of unconsciousness again.

"Go to sleep, Haruhi. We'll see you there."

"G'night, Daddy..."

Haruhi slumped into the bed without another word. Kyoya leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. He felt the bed shift as Isamu crawled over to him.

"Why did you lie to her?" Isamu asked quietly.

"I..." Kyoya did not have a good answer for him. Why had he lied to her? He was not her father. He could not substitute for her father. But even in her state, Haruhi had known of her father's death. She had been aware of the previous events, but for some reason, she had wanted to converse with her father. Kyoya took a deep breath.

"It was the right thing to do."

"What do you mean?" Isamu cocked his head to the side.

"She wanted to talk to her father. Who am I to deny her?"

"But...Ranka-ojiisan is..."

"I know..."

Isamu threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Adults!" He cried. "I'll never understand you!"

The boy walked out of the room and turned towards his own room. Kyoya shrugged and turned back to Haruhi. He took the rag from her forehead and left the room to rewet it. He really needed to get Haruhi to talk to someone. Her grief was going to kill her if she did not talk to someone soon.

Kyoya let the rag plop into the bowl of cold water sitting in the kitchen. He sighed heavily and rested his forehead in his hands.

"What am I supposed to do?" His voice was a harsh whisper.

He tried to imagine what Ranka would say in this situation.

"It's not your fault, Kyoya. She'll open up in her own time." Ranka's calm voice wrapped around him like a warm blanket.

"But it is…I let her get sick. She didn't feel like she could talk to me, and she got sick…it's all my fault…"

"Kyoya Ootori, you stop that right now. I left you in her care, because I know you will take better care of her than anyone else. I trust you; Kotoko trusts you; Haruhi trusts you." His voice was gentle.

"But I..."

"Kyoya?" A strong voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"F-Father?" Kyoya turned around slowly, and sure enough, Yoshio Ootori stood leaning against the kitchen entryway.

"Are you alright, son?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"I…" Kyoya picked up the rag and water bowl. "I have to get this back up to Haruhi."

"I'll come with you."

Kyoya looked at his father, an eyebrow raised.

"I want to check up on our newest addition to the Ootori household." He shrugged.

Kyoya turned around and headed up the stairs without another word. When he got to the room, Haruhi was sitting up in bed with Isamu next to her. The boy chattered happily about his newest drawing, while Haruhi stared at the page, nodding occasionally. Her eyes were glassy; her face was flushed.

"Haruhi, you're up. How are you feeling?" Kyoya asked, trying to hide the relief in his voice.

She turned to him and shrugged. Kyoya walked forward with the rag and bowl, setting them down beside the bed. He eyed the breakfast, which had long since gone cold. Very gently, he dabbed the cloth on her face. Haruhi sighed in relief, and Kyoya's stomach unclenched itself slightly.

"Feels better, doesn't it?" Kyoya asked, a slight chuckle at the end of his statement.

Haruhi leaned back against the pillows, visibly exhausted. Isamu had stopped his chatter, so the room was deafeningly quiet.

Yoshio cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"How are you, Haruhi?" He asked in a calm voice.

No answer.

"We are very glad to have you with us, dear." He smiled at her.

Still no answer.

"Father, Haruhi has not felt much like talking lately…" Kyoya told him.

"Don't worry about it, son; I completely understand." He turned back to Haruhi. "Your father and I had a meeting a few weeks ago to discuss things."

A flicker of surprise flashed across her face.

"He called the meeting just to make sure that you would be taken care of if anything were to happen to him." Yoshio gave a sigh of frustration. "I should have seen it then, pressed him for more information…but he told me that he would include the details in his will. Do you know where we would be able to find that information?"

Haruhi nodded and handed him the large envelope. Kyoya watched his father dig inside the envelope, pulling out the official-looking papers. He spent a few minutes scanning the pages until…

"Aha! There it is!" Kyoya had never seen his father look so excited.

"What is it, Father?"

"Well, Miss Fujioka, it seems as though your father has named the Ootori family your legal guardians until you turn 18, should you accept."

Kyoya turned to Haruhi and saw her nod. His heart beat furiously. This meant that he would be able to keep an eye on her. She would not be thrust into the system. She would stay with him! A wave of relief surged through him.

"Now, Miss Fujioka, I would like to speak with you and Kyoya about a few things. They are more…how shall I put it…personal matters."

"Father, can it wait a bit? Haruhi is exhausted…_I'm_ exhausted."

"Kyoya, I came home early so that I could talk to you two." His father said sternly.

Kyoya felt Haruhi's hand on his arm and looked over to her. She nodded at him, and Kyoya turned back to his father.

"Alright…" He conceded.

"Isamu, why don't you go draw Haruhi a nice picture?" Yoshio suggested.

Isamu, taking the hint, nodded his head and scampered out the door. Kyoya's father turned back to face him and began speaking.

* * *

_**YAY! Yoshio is back! He's going to be super important in the next chapter! I hope you guys don't mind that he is out of character and will continue to be so. I like to imagine him as a secretly caring parent, and now that Ranka-san is dead, Yoshio feels the need to open up more and make Haruhi feel more comfortable.**_

_**Please leave a review! I hope to have the next chapter up within a week or two at the most!**_

_**But if you have the time to leave a quick review (even if you just want to squee over Isamu), please do!**_

_**Until next time!**_

_**~Rose **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello all! I know it has been a while...did you miss me? **_

_**I got some fantastic reviews on my last chapter, and I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews! You all rock! **_

_**On the topic of reviews, I would like to say...While I treasure all of your reviews, I would like to say something. For the last time, if you do not have something nice to say, do not say it at all! Saying that you do not mean to be rude does not take away the fact that you have insulted my story and my writing. If you do not like my story or think it's drawn out, DON'T READ IT! **_

_**And now, I am going to present another chapter to you! This chapter is more about Haruhi and her continual healing. She's a bit resistant to allowing people to help her... :/ We shall see if Kyoya can break through in this chapter...hmm...**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

"Now, Miss Fujioka, I would like to speak with you and Kyoya about a few things. They are more…how shall I put it…personal matters."

"Father, can it wait a bit? Haruhi is exhausted…_I'm_ exhausted."

"Kyoya, I came home early so that I could talk to you two." His father said sternly.

Kyoya felt Haruhi's hand on his arm and looked over to her. She nodded at him, and Kyoya turned back to his father.

"Alright…" He conceded.

"Isamu, why don't you go draw Haruhi a nice picture?" Yoshio suggested.

Isamu, taking the hint, nodded his head and scampered out the door. Kyoya's father turned back to face him and began speaking.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Haruhi_**

Haruhi tried to listen to what Kyoya's father had been discussing with him, but she could not seem to focus. He had certain mannerisms that reminded her of her father so much that she wanted to cry. For instance, the way he played with his tie as he spoke. It reminded Haruhi of the way her father used to wring the dish towel (when he did happen to clean) as he spoke to her. Yoshio suddenly turned to her with an infectious smile, one which she would have returned if it had not pained her so. Her father's smile had been infectious as well.

A low cough brought Haruhi out of her trance.

"What do you think, Haruhi?"

She shook her head firmly and turned to face Kyoya and his father. Kyoya looked at her with worried eyes.

"Father was just thinking that you would be best off with us, as your father wrote in his will." Kyoya explained.

"Yes, Miss Fujioka. I understand that your father's death is going to be difficult to get through, but we need to discuss what happens next. Your father's body will need to be dealt with, as will the funeral, your living arrangement, and anything else in his will."

At the mention of her father's body, Haruhi felt her entire body tense up. Tears stung her eyes once more as she looked away from Yoshio. Even still, she nodded in agreement.

"Miss Fujioka, I want you to know that you are like a daughter to me, and it is not just because you are dating my son. You should know that you are more than welcome to come to me if you need anything. It is my hope that you will eventually come to think of us as family."

Again, she nodded.

"Now, Kyoya has told me that you are refusing to eat or talk. Is there a reason for that?"

Silence.

"Miss Fujioka, I would very much like to help you, but I cannot do that if you will not allow me to. I'm going to have the cooks prepare some fresh soup, seeing as your breakfast has gotten cold." He gestured to the forgotten breakfast tray on the nightstand.

Haruhi nodded, not particularly wanting to eat but knowing she had to at least put on a show for their sakes. Her head hurt; her entire body felt heavy; she felt like she was on fire. Groaning quietly, she leaned back against the pillows.

"Haruhi? Do you feel sick again?" Kyoya asked.

She nodded almost imperceptibly. Kyoya reached out and felt her forehead. His hand was cool, so Haruhi leaned into it, savoring the feel.

"Your fever's back..." He murmured.

A cough reminded them that Kyoya's father was still in the room.

"Miss Fujioka, I would really appreciate it if you would eat something. It might help you feel better."

She shrugged and looked down at the sheets.

"Haruhi, please…" Kyoya pleaded softly.

Looking up at Kyoya, Haruhi saw the ever-present worry in his eyes. She hated seeing him like this, especially when she knew she was the cause. Her eyes watered even more, and she soon felt tears slip down her face.

Haruhi watched as Kyoya's eyes softened further. He reached forward and stroked her cheek, effectively removing her tears.

"Haruhi…I hate watching you waste away…please try to eat some soup…for me? For Isamu?"

Haruhi nodded slowly and leaned into him, her tears still falling. Kyoya rubbed her arms gently and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I think she'll try some of the soup, Father…thank you." Kyoya said softly.

"Okay, I'll go let them know. I will send for someone to collect the tray."

After Yoshio left, Kyoya pushed Haruhi away from him and looked directly at her. His unwavering gaze bothered her, as though he could see straight through her.

"Thank you for at least trying, love…why don't you lean back and relax until the soup comes up?"

Haruhi nodded tiredly. Kyoya made a move to leave, but Haruhi panicked and pulled him back down to her. The last thing she wanted or _needed_ at the moment was to be left alone. Kyoya seemed to understand and sat back down beside her.

Haruhi watched him as he dipped the rag back in the bowl and placed it on her forehead. She realized that she would never be able to repay him for all he had done for her. He had been so kind and caring, not that he wasn't always. Most of all, he had been patient. Very few people would have put up with her constant crying. Even fewer would have sat with her through the night to make sure she did not have any more nightmares.

There was a knock on the door, and Haruhi heard him grunt lowly in response.

"Master Kyoya, I am here for the dishes." A young woman entered the room and took the tray away without another word.

As she left, the woman cast a pitying glance at Haruhi, who inwardly flinched. She hated being cared for, but she hated being pitied even more.

A few minutes later, Yoshio Ootori reentered the room with a gentle smile on his face.

"They are making the soup as we speak, Miss Fujioka."

Haruhi looked at him with what she hoped was an appreciative glance. She had to hand it to him; he managed to pull off the 'uncaring, rich father' bit for the press, but around close friends and family he was a kind and gentle person.

"While we wait, we have some important matters to discuss."

Haruhi looked at him, encouraging him to continue.

"Miss Fujioka, I want to emphasize the fact that I am not what the media makes me out to be. I care about you, and I am so sorry for your loss. I also want you to know that you needn't be worried about anything from here on out. You need to focus on getting better, for Kyoya's and Isamu's sakes."

Haruhi nodded at him. She knew that Yoshio Ootori was a kind man. In the months she had been dating Kyoya, Haruhi rarely saw Mr. Ootori, but the few times she had seen him he had been nothing but kind to her.

"Kyoya, would you mind leaving the room so that I may talk to Miss Fujioka in private?"

A jolt of panic coursed through her at the thought of Kyoya leaving. She grabbed his shirt and tucked herself tightly into his side.

"It's alright, Miss Fujioka; it won't be long." Kyoya's father told her.

"Father, I am hesitant to leave her..." Kyoya tried to convince his father.

"It won't take any more than five minutes. Why don't you check on Isamu?"

Haruhi heard Kyoya huff before he turned to her.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Haruhi. You'll be okay." Kyoya leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

Yoshio turned back to Haruhi, his eyes not betraying any emotion.

"Miss Fujioka, you need to eat. I do not care what you eat, but you need to eat. Kyoya and Isamu are worried sick about you. What if something happens to you and you end up in the hospital again? It would absolutely destroy the two of them! Think about them before you continue to torture yourself. I also hear that you refuse to talk. I am not going to force you to talk, but it is becoming difficult for those two men. They both want to help you, Miss Fujioka, but they cannot do so unless you tell them what is wrong."

Haruhi looked down at the sheets, her hands gripping them until her knuckles were white.

"Miss Fujioka, I do not mean to make you feel bad, but I cannot ignore this anymore. You are not only hurting yourself, but you are also hurting my son and my nephew. The fact is, you cannot go on this way for much longer. I only want to see you better, Miss Fujioka. Your father's death cannot have been easy, and it will be difficult to get over. But Kyoya and Isamu are trying to help you. They cannot help you if you refuse to let them!"

He was practically yelling now, and Haruhi was fighting tears. She desperately wished for Kyoya to return.

"I will not allow you to continue hurting my family. You will not be welcome here unless I hear from them that you are improving. We are your legal guardians, but that can change very quickly. I will not hesitate to throw you out of our home."

The tears started then. She already felt alone, and it looked as though, if she could not be happy in a few hours, she really would be alone. She would be out on the street, fatherless, loveless, hopelessly alone.

"And if you-"

"Father! What do you think you are saying?!" Kyoya came bursting into the room, visibly incensed.

"She needs to be scared, Kyoya!"

"And threatening to leave her all by herself after losing her father is going to fix everything?"

"You know I would never actually follow through with it, son." Yoshio's voice returned to normal.

"Look at her." Kyoya gestured towards Haruhi, who quickly rubbed the tears off her face. "Look at what you've done."

Haruhi, realizing the attention was on her, vehemently shook her head. She did not want her new family to feel bad for her.

"It isn't up to you whether she talks or eats. I do not want to force her to do anything she does not wish to do."

"I understand that, Kyoya, but right now she needs to eat. It isn't a question anymore. Not eating has made her sick, and continuing to starve herself will only have detrimental effects on her health later on."

"You do not understand, Father. When Haruhi tries to eat, her stomach turns inside out. It isn't that she won't eat; it's that she can't eat." Kyoya looked at the carpet as he made his way over to Haruhi.

"I'm going to go check on the soup, and Haruhi is going to try to eat it." Yoshio ordered.

"Father, did you not listen to anything I just-"

Haruhi decided enough was enough and put her hand on Kyoya's arm, silencing him. She glanced at Kyoya's father and nodded once in agreement. After all, the man had only said 'try.'

Later that afternoon, Haruhi was crouched over the toilet once more. When she had gotten the soup, she had dug in eagerly, relishing in its taste. The bowl was empty before the maid who had brought it had left.

Kyoya now held Haruhi's hair back as Yoshio watched worriedly from the doorway.

"I told him...dumb piece of..." Kyoya muttered under his breath, making Haruhi almost giggle.

"I'm sorry…both of you." Haruhi heard Yoshio say from behind her.

Haruhi nodded as she slumped weakly against Kyoya. Her father had done the same thing when Haruhi's mother had died. He had wanted her to be healthy, so he had tried to force her to eat. It had ended the same way back then, too.

"Let's clean you up; then it's back to bed with you." Kyoya said. His tone was neutral, but Haruhi thought the statement sounded like something a mother would say to her child.

She looked up at Kyoya, noticing the anger in his eyes. His anger was not directed at her, though, and Haruhi knew that. Haruhi desperately wanted to tell Kyoya to let go of his anger for his father, but she could not find her voice.

Eventually, Haruhi was tucked between the covers once more. Kyoya and Yoshio left, claiming to want to check on Isamu. But Haruhi had a sneaking suspicion that they did not want to be in the same room as her. She did not blame them, though, as lately, it seemed she had the tendency to suck the life out of things. Maybe it would be for the best if she just…left them alone.

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya was growing worried. Haruhi could not even keep down the soup. This spelled nothing good in the long run. After some debating, he decided that he would let her sleep for a little bit then check up on her.

"Kyoya!" Ah, just the little bundle of joy he was looking for.

"Isamu-chan, Haruhi just laid down for a nap. Why don't we go for a walk or something? We can check up on her when we get back."

"Okay…" The boy seemed a bit saddened at the news, but he quickly turned around. "Can we get ice cream?"

Kyoya chuckled. "Sure. Just go get ready."

As they walked, Kyoya decided to ask Isamu the question that had been bugging him for a while.

"Isamu, why do you call me by my first name?"

"Do you not want me to?" Isamu asked in reply, fiddling nervously with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh no, I was just wondering why. I mean, you call Haruhi 'Mama,' so I was just curious." Kyoya answered. He could not believe he was feeling jealous of Haruhi merely because of what a child chose to call them.

"I was afraid of what you would say if I called you Papa…"

That caught Kyoya off guard. Isamu was afraid of _his_ reaction? Kyoya smirked and ruffled Isamu's hair.

"Isamu, you and Haruhi are the only two people in the world who can get me to let my guard down. I feel completely at ease when I am with you two. Please, do not feel afraid or uncomfortable about anything…especially concerning what you call me."

Isamu's eyes lit up. "So…I can call you Papa?"

"Of course." Kyoya smiled genuinely.

"Well then…_Papa_, may we get some ice cream, please?" Isamu asked politely.

"I did promise, didn't I?" Kyoya answered warmly as they continued toward the stand.

Kyoya found it odd. One child changing how he referred to Kyoya could make him smile like there was no tomorrow. A strange warmth wrapped around his heart as he watched Isamu eagerly order ice cream for the two of them. Maybe everything would be okay with his new family.

When they finally ambled through the door, Kyoya and Isamu raced up the stairs to look at Haruhi. Much to their dismay, she was still asleep. Judging by the way she was tossing and turning, Kyoya guessed Haruhi was in the grip of another nightmare.

Kyoya rushed forward while Isamu stayed at the door. He shook her and called her name, desperately trying to rouse her.

After a solid few minutes of panic, Haruhi finally woke up and clung to Kyoya.

"Had another one?"

A nod.

"We're here now, Haruhi. It's alright."

That was when Isamu pounced on the end of the bed.

"We went for a walk while you were asleep, Mama! I picked a flower for you." He handed her a small, purple flower.

Haruhi smiled slightly and sniffed the flower. Kyoya grabbed it from her and placed it behind her ear.

"Mama, you look so pretty! Don't you think so, Papa?"

Kyoya nodded in agreement. Haruhi turned to him questioningly.

"He decided that's what he wanted to call me." He shrugged.

Haruhi gave a small smile as she leaned into Kyoya, who rubbed her back in smooth circles. She had to have been tired, seeing as she had not been sleeping very well. Slowly, her weight on him increased, and Kyoya looked over at her. Seeing that she was falling asleep, Kyoya leaned Haruhi back on her pillows and sat beside her.

Kyoya lightly stroked Haruhi's face as she closed her eyes. He was relieved to find that her fever had gone down almost completely.

"Isamu, why don't you bring over something to do?" Kyoya suggested, knowing that he had to keep an eye on both Isamu and Haruhi.

Isamu nodded and left the room, returning moments later with a drawing pad and crayons.

Kyoya left to grab his laptop. When he came back, he saw Isamu taking over his post beside Haruhi. The young boy had one hand in Haruhi's hair, stroking it gently.

Kyoya coughed lightly, causing Isamu to jump in fright.

"Sorry, Ky...Papa...I thought she might be better if I sat next to her while you were gone." He looked away as though he thought he was in trouble.

"Isamu, it's alright. I'm not upset. That was thoughtful of you." Kyoya dropped into a chair beside the bed while Isamu moved back to the end of the bed.

Kyoya opened his laptop and started on some work for the company, and Isamu started a new drawing.

A couple hours later, Kyoya looked up from his laptop. Haruhi was still sleeping peacefully, and Kyoya was thankful for that. He looked over to see Isamu slumped over his drawing pad, snoring lightly. One arm supported his head while the other stretched out in front of him, a purple crayon dangling from his fingertips.

Smirking, Kyoya walked over to Isamu and pulled the drawing pad out from underneath him. He placed the crayons on the nightstand and picked Isamu up, placing him next to Haruhi. Making sure that the two of them were sound asleep, Kyoya went back to his laptop and his ever-important work.

It was nearing six-o-clock when Isamu stirred. He groaned loudly, causing Kyoya to look up from his computer screen.

"Mmm…what time is it?" He asked.

"A little after dinner time." Kyoya answered, looking towards Haruhi, who was still asleep. "Why don't you go down to the kitchen and see what you can scrounge?"

"Scrounge?" Isamu tilted his head cutely.

"Er…see what you can gather up for dinner."

"Do you want me to bring you something?"

Kyoya nodded his head. "Whatever you find down there."

And Isamu was gone again. Kyoya walked over to the bed and shook Haruhi's shoulder. She mumbled incoherently before stirring slightly. When she finally opened her eyes, they were completely dull. The sadness Kyoya saw in his girlfriend's eyes was almost overwhelming. He crushed her to his body, trying to soak up her feelings, if that was even possible.

"Isamu and I were just going to start on a later dinner, if you wanted to join us?" Kyoya asked once Haruhi had calmed down.

She shook her head, pointing to her stomach with disdain. Kyoya felt so bad for her. He knew that if this kept up he would have to take Haruhi to the hospital to have her hooked up to some IVs. It was a last resort, but it looked like the only option.

"Well would it be alright if Isamu and I ate up here with you? We can keep you company."

Haruhi nodded and leaned into him once again. Kyoya thought he heard her mumble something, but he thought he was just being too hopeful.

"Did you say something, Koi?"

She shook her head, and Kyoya's heart sank. He had really only been hearing things...

**_Haruhi_**

Haruhi wanted to repeat what she had said, but for some reason or another she could not find it in herself. She had mumbled a quick 'I love you' to Kyoya.

Having had enough time to think about things, Haruhi thought about what Kyoya's father had said. She had thought about the fact that she was not eating or talking and how much it must be hurting Kyoya and Isamu. Deep down, she knew she was being selfish, and she knew that she would have to let them help her. But she also knew that it would not be an easy task.

Haruhi was not the type to accept help easily, and she thought that asking for further help from the Ootori family would merely be asking for too much. They had already taken her in and helped her move out of her apartment. They were allowing her to take up a bedroom and trying to feed her. They were trying to help her with the funeral arrangements for her father. To ask for help recovering emotionally and mentally would be much too much...at least that is what Haruhi thought.

"Haruhi, my mother is coming home from a business trip tonight, and she would like to sit with you...if you would have her, of course." Kyoya spoke suddenly.

Haruhi nodded. It might be nice to hear from Kyoya's mother. They had met once or twice, and Haruhi found her to be a wonderfully talented and kind woman, someone she could look to to be a surrogate mother.

A creak at the door alerted Haruhi and Kyoya to Isamu's presence.

"I found dinner!" He cheered, carrying a tray into the room.

"Wonderful. Did you want to try something, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked considerately.

Haruhi just shook her head. She was afraid that she would wind up praying to the Porcelain God again, something she was not fond of.

"If you decide you want some, let me know."

Haruhi watched passively as her boys ate dinner in bed. She could never have imagined Kyoya eating so informally, scarfing down food in bed. The thought almost made her giggle. Kyoya sat with his legs crossed and, as he munched on a dinner roll, torrents of crumbs fell onto the sheets. Oh yes, his guard was completely down.

Beside Kyoya sat Isamu, also sitting cross-legged. Some kind of food was smeared in one corner of his mouth, crumbs decorating the front of his clothing.

Her boys were pigging out, and if she had been feeling up to it, Haruhi might have joined them. A small smile decorated her lips as she continued to watch them. Feeling slightly playful, Haruhi leaned over to Kyoya and bit off a piece of the roll in his hand.

"Oh? That's how we're going to play it, Koi?" He asked while Isamu giggled beside him.

Shooting him a small smile, Haruhi shrugged and sat back against the pillows.

"You aren't going to get away with it that easily." Kyoya's expression suddenly turned playfully menacing.

Kyoya leaned forward to tickle her, and just as his finger tips came into contact with Haruhi's sensitive sides, a knock sounded at the door.

"Master Kyoya? There is someone on the phone for you." A meek voice called out.

Haruhi watched Kyoya roll his eyes as he rose from the bed. With a quick promise to be back soon, Kyoya escaped out of the room.

"Mmf, I hmmf smffng..." Isamu started, but with a quick glare from Haruhi, the boy took the hint to swallow before speaking. "Mama, I have something to show you!"

The boy crawled over to her with his drawing pad in hand and sat in her lap. Haruhi tilted Isamu's chin up and wiped the food from his face, shooting him a small smile before motioning for him to continue.

"Papa said it would be good of me to draw you a picture. So I drew you a picture of you and Papa and me and Ranka-ojiisan."

Isamu handed her his drawing pad. The picture showed four stick figures that slightly resembled their small family.

"That's Ranka-ojiisan! He has wings so that he can travel between his new home and here so he can make sure you're okay. Isn't he a pretty angel?"

Indeed, her father's stick figure had huge, feathery wings. He was holding onto stick-Haruhi's hand while stick-Isamu and stick-Kyoya stood close by.

Haruhi pointed to the stick versions of her men and raised her eyebrow.

"That's supposed to show that we aren't going to leave you alone, and we'll always be there for you. I was gonna draw a picture of just you so it would be more detailed, but I thought it might make you sad to be alone..."

Haruhi felt the tears roll down her face, tears that she didn't remember producing. She hugged Isamu from behind and crushed his body against her own while placing kisses in his dark hair.

"Mama, are you okay?" Isamu asked.

Haruhi nodded and hugged him tighter or a second before letting him go.

"Did my drawing make you sad?" He asked, turning to face her.

She shook her head and pulled the picture closer to her. Isamu crawled forward, sitting on his knees before looping his arms around her neck.

"We love you, Mama."

The two hugged again for a minute before they heard the door creak.

"Haruhi?" The voice belonged to an older female.

Haruhi looked up and saw Kyoya trailing behind his mother, Hiromi Ootori. Her slim figure was accentuated beautifully by the business suit she wore.

"Haruhi, dear! It has certainly been a while, hasn't it? How are you doing?"

Haruhi shrugged but shot Hiromi a small smile.

Hiromi sat on the edge of the bed, looking over Haruhi's figure.

"Well goodness, Kyoya! Haven't you been feeding this girl?!" She exclaimed after a minute.

Haruhi's eyes widened and she started shaking her head adamantly, pointing to her own chest in blame. She wanted to tell Hiromi that Kyoya was not at fault for her current state, but the words would not come out.

"Mother, I would never starve Haruhi! I've been trying to feed her, but every time we get something down, she has trouble keeping it there." Kyoya defended himself.

She shot him a skeptical look before turning back to Haruhi.

"I hear you aren't doing so well. You were sick earlier?"

Haruhi shrugged, looking down.

"Haruhi, dear, don't be shy. It happens. We are all here to take care of you."

Haruhi blushed and wished something would come and swallow her up; she hated the attention she was getting all of the sudden.

"Now, dear, my darling husband told me about what happened earlier, and he wanted me to convey how sorry he is. He did not mean to make you feel as though you were a burden, and he never intended for those words to slip out. He, just like the rest of us, is simply very worried about you. We all want to see you get better...sooner, if possible."

Kyoya stepped forward. "Haruhi, we do not like to see you waste away like this, and I know that this is not by choice but should this continue any longer, we will need to send you to the hospital. Starving to death is not a good option, and I'm sure your father would never have wanted to see you this way."

"Thank you, Kyoya." Hiromi nodded to him. "Now if you could kindly get out of the room so that I may speak with Haruhi alone."

Haruhi hated it when Kyoya left the room, as it made her scared that one time he would not return. Even still, she nodded slowly at him in acceptance, and he left the room.

"The real reason I came in here, Haruhi, is just to see how you are doing. Kyoya never shuts up about how worried he is about you. Isamu is scared that his Mama will never make a reappearance. Yoshio and I are worried about the lot of you. That is not even to mention the messages from your friends at the Host Club; all of them worry about you as well. Sweetie, if you ever want to talk, here is my number." Hiromi reached for Haruhi's cell, which was conveniently perched on the nightstand.

"Please do not hesitate to call me or text me. You are family now, and we take care of family. It stands to reason that we would want to take care of you, too." She leaned forward and placed a hand on Haruhi's knee. "Maybe, when you are feeling up to it, you'll give me a shout, yeah? I would love to take my future daughter-in-law out for some lunch and a nice girls' day out."

Haruhi blushed hotly with the implication, but she nodded. In truth, she looked forward to hanging out with Hiromi. She was a kind woman, who tried very hard to keep those she loved happy. Suddenly, Haruhi was overcome with an emotion akin to gratefulness, and she barely restrained herself from tackling the female Ootori. Instead, Haruhi settled for a small hug, which the elder woman returned gently before leaving the room.

Later that night, Haruhi was caught in the midst of another nightmare, but this time she was being swallowed up by darkness, completely alone. Images of her friends and family flashed before her as they looked at her disapprovingly. Each one would glare at her before turning their backs and disappearing. She called out to them as they appeared and heaved a mighty sob as they vanished just as quickly.

First came the hosts. Mori-senpai sent her a cold glance as he reached down to Honey-senpai, also glaring at her harshly. Tamaki, his eyes normally alight with childish excitement, now looked at her with contempt. Kaoru and Hikaru shared a glance before turning to her with stony faces filled with hatred.

Next came her new family. Yoshio shook his head at her as he turned away. Hiromi seemed to mouth something before her disappearance. Isamu glared spitefully as he tore up a picture of the two of them together.

Then came her blood family. Her mother gazed sorrowfully, as though she were disappointed, before facing away from Haruhi. Her father suddenly appeared, eyes dull and depressed as he looked her up and down.

Finally came her current reason for living. Kyoya's calculating gaze bore into her with derision. He reached for Haruhi as though trying to tell himself that what he was seeing was not real. As quickly as he had reached out, Kyoya snatched his hand back and turned away.

"I thought you were different, Haruhi. I thought you were stronger." He said lowly.

"Kyoya…please! Don't!"

"You broke my heart; why should I spare you the agony?"

In that instant, Haruhi felt her heart drop. She gasped in pain, clutching at her chest. In front of her floated her heart, blackened and shriveled.

"_This_ is what happens when you leave the people you love behind in favor of your selfish endeavors." He hissed, wrapping a cold hand around her heart and squeezing tightly.

Haruhi shrieked in anguish as she sat up in bed. Kyoya already had his arms around her, comfortingly rubbing her back.

"Haruhi, it's alright. I'm here now. Shh…it's okay. It'll all be okay. Calm down, Koi…please…" Kyoya whispered.

"What's happened?! Who's died?!" Hiromi Ootori, clad in full nightware and a head full of curlers, came bursting into the room swinging wildly.

"Mother, she just had a bad dream…sorry to wake you." Haruhi heard Kyoya reply quietly.

The bed shifted on Haruhi's other side as another set of arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Haruhi, dear, we are all here for you. Calm down, dear child." Hiromi cooed.

Haruhi sniffled into Kyoya's nightshirt, trying to calm herself down. _This_ was embarrassing.

A short while later, Hiromi had left after reassurance from Kyoya, and Haruhi was still trying to calm her sobs. She felt herself start to drift off in Kyoya's arms and welcomed the dreamless sleep accompanying the blackness this time.

* * *

_**I hope you enjoyed it! I know it may have been a bit long and drawn out...but I want to make sure that I get the point across that Haruhi is not getting over this easily. I don't want to just say: "Haruhi was feeling sad about her dad's death, so she stopped talking and eating for a while, but she eventually got better, and everything was sunshine and rainbows and pretty prancing unicorns again!"**_

_**Please leave a review! But if you don't have anything nice to say, please don't say anything at all. It is my story, and I will write it as I wish!**_

_**Until next time, my wondertastical readers (I wanted to come up with a name for my loyal readers, but 'The Strokers' sounds kind of...well...wrong...)!**_

_**I really do hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_

_**~Rose**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello, dear readers! Guess what day it is! No, it's not Hump Day (woot wooooot!)...It's Writer-chan's birthday! I'm officially nineteen! So this is my birthday present to you all...another chapter! Thank you all for your fantastic reviews lately, and thank you all who favorited/followed this story! I really appreciate all of you. **_

_**It's a bit shorter than the previous chapter, but I hope you still like it. I worked hard on this chapter, because Haruhi is starting to realize that things need to change...but don't let me give it away! Please read!**_

* * *

_**Previously...**_

"What's happened?! Who's died?!" Hiromi Ootori, clad in full nightware and a head full of curlers, came bursting into the room swinging wildly.

"Mother, she just had a bad dream…sorry to wake you." Haruhi heard Kyoya reply quietly.

The bed shifted on Haruhi's other side as another set of arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Haruhi, dear, we are all here for you. Calm down, dear child." Hiromi cooed.

Haruhi sniffled into Kyoya's nightshirt, trying to calm herself down. _This_ was embarrassing.

A short while later, Hiromi had left after reassurance from Kyoya, and Haruhi was still trying to calm her sobs. She felt herself start to drift off in Kyoya's arms and welcomed the dreamless sleep accompanying the blackness this time.

* * *

_**And now...**_

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya gazed down at Haruhi's sleeping face, vaguely wondering how much longer this would last. He feared that Haruhi's sanity would not remain in tact if the nightmares lasted much longer...then again, his own sanity was at risk of being lost as well. Haruhi would wake up screaming; Kyoya would rush into the room and hold her; Haruhi would fall asleep again; Kyoya remained awake just in case. His sleep schedule was suffering, and when Kyoya Ootori was tired, others would pay.

Sometime around five in the morning, Kyoya's eyelids became far too heavy for him to hold up. They started sliding closed, despite his best attempts. Kyoya rested his chin on his fist, fixing his tired eyes on Haruhi's peacefully sleeping form. As consciousness left him, Kyoya slumped forward, resting his head on Haruhi's stomach.

He woke up a short while later to see Haruhi awake and poking him. She motioned for him to lay beside her, and he gladly complied, knowing it would be much more comfortable than the position he was in currently. Kyoya slid beside Haruhi and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her on the forehead before allowing his eyes to close once again.

Hours later, Kyoya woke up feeling more drained than he had when he had fallen asleep. Haruhi was already awake, reading her father's final letter for the millionth time. The pages were yellowing, and some of the ink was smudged from the countless tears shed over the words. Kyoya sighed heavily and pulled himself up, despite his body's attempts to force him to crawl back beneath the comforter.

"Good morning, Haruhi. How are you today?" He asked groggily.

Haruhi shrugged in response, shooting him an apologetic look, possibly in regards to the night's events.

"Don't worry about it, Koi. Anything for you." Kyoya shot her a genuine smile, tired as it may have been. "You've already given up eating and talking, so I figured the least I can do is make sure you sleep enough."

Again, Haruhi shrugged.

Kyoya sat back in the bed, taking a deep breath and counting to ten as he did so. Haruhi's refusal to talk was beginning to frustrate him, but he had to be understanding towards her and her situation. Still, she was not talking and was not eating. Did she not understand that there were other people who were hurting from the loss? Then again, she had had that awful nightmare last night that had ended in her screaming her lungs out. That might have had something to do with Haruhi's attitude change.

"Haruhi, please...let us help you..." He pleaded, hating how weak he sounded. An Ootori never pleads. Ever.

Haruhi looked at him, her eyes dull, and shrugged again. Kyoya sighed heavily, getting out of bed to check on Isamu.

"Papa! Are we going to do something today?" Isamu asked as soon as he saw Kyoya.

"Good morning to you too, Isamu." Kyoya chuckled as the pair walked down to the kitchen.

"Sorry..." The boy blushed. "How is Mama today?"

"She had a very bad dream last night, so she is not doing so hot today. It made her very upset."

"Oh...so I guess she doesn't want to do anything today..." He gazed down at his cereal.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that we can't do something." Kyoya suggested.

"We should get her a present!"

"Like what?"

"Well...she had that picture of her mommy...so what if we got her a picture frame for her daddy's picture and put them together...or something..." He suggested shyly.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. It was not a bad idea.

"We'll have to see what we can do."

When they had finally finished breakfast, Isamu and Kyoya got ready to go out.

"What about Mama?" Isamu asked as he got his shoes on.

"Let's go ask her." Kyoya suggested, though he already had a feeling what Haruhi's answer would be.

The two went up to Haruhi's room, and Isamu cracked the door just a bit.

"It looks like she's asleep again..." Isamu told him, tilting his head to the side.

"Well then, let's not wake her. You go downstairs and finish getting ready. I'll just leave her a little note so that she knows where we've gone."

Isamu nodded and thundered noisily down the stairs. Kyoya chuckled at his antics before turning back to Haruhi's sleeping form. He entered the room quietly, so as not to wake her, in case she really was asleep.

"Haruhi..." He sighed as he gazed at her. Her eyes were closed, but she did not look at peace. Dark bags decorated the undersides of her eyes. Her cheeks were sunken in slightly, and she was pale.

Kyoya sat down on the bed and brushed a strand of dull brown hair out of Haruhi's face. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes, moaning a bit as the sunlight hit them.

"Haruhi, Isamu and I are going out for a bit. Do you want to join us?"

She shot him a look that clearly registered as a 'does-it-look-like-I-want-to-go-anywhere' look, and Kyoya held up his hands defensively.

"I just thought I would ask. We are not sure when we'll be back, but I didn't want you to be worried about our whereabouts."

Haruhi nodded.

"We'll be back in a bit, Haruhi. I've got my cell phone with me in case you need anything or think of anything while we're out."

Again, she nodded.

Kyoya leaned forward and placed a kiss to Haruhi's lips, noting that they were no longer smooth and soft. Because of her inability to keep food down, her lips had become cracked and dry. Even still, he kissed her again and caressed her cheek before turning and heading down the stairs.

**_Haruhi_**

Haruhi felt as though her life was one big, monotonous blur. She would fall asleep, have a horrible nightmare, and be woken up by Kyoya. Kyoya would watch her, eventually passing out from exhaustion in the early morning. Everyone in the spacious mansion would try to feed her something, hoping that they could get something to stay down. Then Kyoya, or whoever happened to be around, would comfort her as she turned her stomach inside out. This would be followed by a couple of hours of mostly-dreamless sleep, often induced by fever and exhaustion. Kyoya and Isamu would go out, probably in an attempt to distract the young boy, only returning at dinner time. The two would eat dinner in her room, and they would chat until Haruhi was, once again, lulled into sleep. Thus, the process started all over again.

And Haruhi hated it.

For the next two days, Haruhi tried to figure out how to change things. She tried to think of ways to break the news to Kyoya that she did not like to be doted on and she felt like more of a burden than anything else.

So, on the seventh day that Haruhi was at the Ootori mansion, she was alone for the day. Kyoya and Isamu had gone somewhere again; Kyoya's parents were at work; the maids had long since learned to just leave Haruhi alone. While she was alone, Haruhi had a lot of time to think.

She loved Kyoya and his family, but she felt as though she was a burden and could not seem to make anyone happy. Haruhi hated seeing the looks of pity she received from anyone who entered the room. She knew that it would not be much different if she had been able to go on with her life, so she made no effort to change.

One thing that had really been making her upset was Kyoya's constant attention to her every need. The previous night, she had woken up sobbing. Seconds later, Kyoya had come bursting into the room.

Haruhi had shot Kyoya a curious look, as she thought she had been decently quiet, but he had quickly explained that he was a light sleeper and his room was right next door. It bothered her to look into his eyes and see the sleep deprivation lingering there. She had been keeping him up, making it difficult for him to get a full night sleep.

Now, Haruhi had a plan. Tonight, if the same thing happened, she would speak up for herself and let him know that she did not wish to be babied. It was a sound plan, in her mind. All that remained was Kyoya actually listening to her wishes.

Predictably, around midnight that night, another nightmare plagued poor Haruhi. She woke up shaking and sobbing, and after a minute, Kyoya came racing into the room. Any second thoughts Haruhi was having vanished as soon as she took in his appearance. This plan needed to happen. Now.

Kyoya's eyes were blood shot, and dark black bags hung beneath them. His hair was tangled and messy, and Haruhi noticed that he had not bothered to put his glasses on. His breathing came in short pants; his nightshirt hung lopsidedly on his figure. The pajama pants he had tried to pull on in his rush to get to her were tangled around his ankles as he tried to yank them up. Had Haruhi not been so worried, she would have laughed at the fact that the Shadow King had successfully put both legs into one pant leg...and the pants were backwards.

Kyoya huffed and flung the pants across the room as he strode over to Haruhi.

"Another one?" He asked as he tiredly clamored into the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

She nodded and gulped as she prepared to tell him.

"K-Kyo-ya..." Haruhi whispered hoarsely.

She felt him jump beside her, and she looked up at him to see him looking at her with wide eyes.

"You...you just..."

Haruhi coughed once. "You don't...need...to come here..."

"But I want to, Haruhi...I love you, and I want to make sure that you're okay."

"Losing sleep..." She stated, glaring at him.

"If it meant you'd be okay, I would gladly stay awake the rest of my life."

"Don't..."

"Don't what? Haruhi, you're worrying me."

"Don't come...to me anymore..." Her throat was starting to hurt from the sudden usage.

"But Haruhi, I care about you, and I want you to be okay. It's summer, after all. I can sleep as long as I need to." His eyes bore into hers.

"Just don't...please..." Haruhi reached over to her nightstand.

When her...father had been alive, he had snored so loudly that Haruhi had needed to invest in some heavy-duty ear plugs. Thankfully, Haruhi had been able to find an unused pair, which she now handed to Kyoya.

"Ignore it…"

Haruhi saw Kyoya's eyes widen at the request.

"I can't just ignore you, Haruhi..."

She felt herself tear up yet again. Of course she did not want him to ignore her, but there was no other way when it came to his health.

"For me?" She pleaded pathetically.

Kyoya's eyes begged her not to ask such a thing of him, but he slowly nodded and took the earplugs.

"I don't suppose you're going to continue talking tomorrow?" Kyoya asked.

Haruhi shook her head. It was a major blow to her pride that she could not speak without wanting to cry.

"And I don't suppose you want me to stay with you?"

Again, she shook her head. Kyoya needed sleep. This was for his own good.

"Alright...please, if you need anything, let me know?" She could tell it was hurting him to have to leave her.

She nodded, and Kyoya tucked her back in.

"Goodnight, Haruhi..." He placed a feather-light kiss on her forehead and another on her lips. "I love you. Please remember that."

With that, he was gone, leaving Haruhi utterly alone once more. Sobs made their way to her throat, and she let one escape. It was a pitiful, malnourished kitten-esque, coughing sound. Another one threatened to escape, and Haruhi pressed her face into the pillow behind her in an attempt to muffle it. The sounds echoed through her empty room, suffocating her. Fat, hot tears rolled down her face, quickly drenching the pillow.

Not wanting Kyoya to rush into the room again, Haruhi glanced around the room and quickly decided that the wardrobe against the wall was her best bet. The walls were thick, and that combined with the pillow would surely muffle her sobs. She climbed out of bed, her feet unsteady on the hard wood floor, and shuffled over to the wardrobe. Opening the door, she peeked inside, half expecting a secret passageway to Hogwarts or Narnia...but only her clothing greeted her. Shoving the garments aside, Haruhi piled into the wardrobe and shut the doors quietly.

More sobs wanted to work their way out, so she smashed her face into the pillow and let them come. Kami, she hated this.

* * *

_**Okay, so I tried to write "smooshed" rather than "smashed" but apparently smooshed is not a word. But see...smashed seems to violent. You don't smash your face into a pillow...you smash your face into a brick wall. On the other hand, you smoosh your face into a pillow...or a dude's tummy if you're sumo wrestling...myeh...**_

_**Let me know if you liked it! See you all in the next chapter!**_

_**~Rose**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hoooooly Cheese Biscuits, Batman! It's seriously been...forever since I updated this story! I so apologize to my wonderful, loyal, kind, caring, amazing, fantastic readers (is that enough sucking up? Please?)! Going back to school has really thrown a wrench in the works, but I've been writing diligently! I've hit a 99-day streak of at least 750 words per day! ...I just haven't had the time to work on posting a new chapter...SORRY! **_

_**Either way, I am sure I've lost some readers, but that's alright. They will be missed, though!**_

_**So before y'all get mad at me for the even longer wait to see the chapter, here it is! Chapter 11 of**_** HSIII!**

* * *

_**Previously...**_

Not wanting Kyoya to rush into the room again, Haruhi glanced around the room and quickly decided that the wardrobe against the wall was her best bet. The walls were thick, and that combined with the pillow would surely muffle her sobs. She climbed out of bed, her feet unsteady on the hard wood floor, and shuffled over to the wardrobe. Opening the door, she peeked inside, half expecting a secret passageway to Hogwarts or Narnia...but only her clothing greeted her. Shoving the garments aside, Haruhi piled into the wardrobe and shut the doors quietly.

More sobs wanted to work their way out, so she smashed her face into the pillow and let them come. Kami, she hated this.

* * *

_**And now...**_

The next thing Haruhi knew, she was waking up in the dark. Momentarily confused, she started panicking and breathing heavily. Memories from the previous night flooded back, and she settled down.

Slowly, Haruhi climbed out of the wardrobe and sauntered back to her bed, throwing herself onto it. She could not sleep well; she could not stomach anything; she could not speak without breaking down completely. All in all, she was broken. Those who tried to help her just ended up hurt or sick, so Haruhi decided to hide her pain even further. Kyoya was no longer allowed to rush to her aide, as he had become terribly sleep deprived. Haruhi worried that Isamu's exposure to her in this state was scarring him for life, somehow keeping him from being a child.

That day, Haruhi became aware of several things. First, the people around her were only going to try for so long before giving up. Second, she really knew how to bring the party to a screeching halt. Third, if she did not open up soon she would actually be as alone as she felt. Fourth, people did not want to stick around for very long when visiting. And fifth, she needed to accept the help before the offer was retracted.

Kyoya, probably in an effort to give her some space, had kept everyone away from her room all day. The day passed rather slowly when no one was bothering her, giving her time to think about things she did not want to think of. She passed the time staring at the ceiling and recounting childhood events.

That night, just as a precaution, Haruhi locked herself back in the wardrobe. Her nest of blankets and pillows did not make the cramped space much more comfortable, but she soon found herself giving in to sleep.

She woke up with a strangled cry, accidentally flinging herself into the doors of the wardrobe. The doors opened, and Haruhi fell unceremoniously to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Haruhi glanced around the dark room. No one had come to her rescue, leaving her to sob quietly to herself. She climbed back into the wardrobe, muffling her sobs with the pillows and heavy blanket around her.

Slowly, Haruhi succumbed to a dreamless sleep, and before she knew it, she was waking up once more. The darkness around her almost comforted her; it made her feel as though there was nothing wrong in her life. When she was in the dark, Haruhi could pretend that she was in her room at home, listening to her dad's loud snoring. She could almost hear her alarm going off, letting her know it was time to make breakfast for the two of them.

But as soon as she opened the wardrobe door, Haruhi was reminded that she no longer had a blood family, and she was essentially alone. She was reminded that she no longer had to make breakfast for two...actually, she no longer had to make breakfast, period.

The thought of such a drastic change had never occurred to her before this series of events. To be honest, Haruhi was wigging out.

Haruhi climbed back into her bed and lay awake. The thoughts continued to swamp her brain, making it impossible to fall asleep again. Her recent malnutrition was making her weak, so all she wanted to do was sleep. She did not have the energy for anything else really.

She needed help, and she knew it. One of these days, Kyoya would give up on her, if he hadn't already. Her heart gave a sudden painful lurch. He hadn't come in at all the previous day...had he already given up? Was she truly alone? Not even Isamu had poked his head in...maybe he had given up as well. Or he had been forced to give up.

A hollow feeling worked its way into her chest, and tears fell down her cheeks. Not caring about being heard, Haruhi started sobbing loudly. She curled up on her side and burrowed into her blankets. Haruhi desperately hoped that Kyoya had not given up on her. Not just yet. After all they had been through...he couldn't have given up so easily...right?

**_Kyoya_**

Kyoya felt completely empty as he listened to Haruhi's sobs. The first night, he had put in the ear plugs, but his heart heard her cries. He could not believe the amount of strength it took him to keep himself from rushing to her room.

It was early morning now, and Kyoya stood outside of Haruhi's room, listening to her heart-breaking sobs. He could not imagine how she must be feeling right now. The previous day, he had been called away to a meeting with his father, and he had not wanted anyone to bother Haruhi while he was away, just in case she ended up needing him to calm her down. Kyoya had not gotten back until well after Isamu's bed time, so he had gone straight to bed. And Haruhi...had been left completely alone...all day.

In his constant thoughts about the Ootori company, Kyoya had forgotten to check in on her. He was going to have Isamu go in and keep her company, but the idea had completely slipped his mind. What must Haruhi have thought about this?

Kyoya wanted to kick himself. He was such an idiot, leaving her in her time of need. He put his hand to the door, the only thing keeping him away from his precious Haruhi, and sighed heavily. For now, he would let her cry, and later he would check up on her. She should be okay, right?

An hour later, Kyoya heard Isamu stirring in his room and decided to check up on Haruhi. Her room had gone completely quiet, leaving Kyoya wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Kyoya hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Haruhi?" He called, not trying to hide the slight note of concern in his voice.

When he did not hear a response, Kyoya decided that it was safe to go inside. Haruhi lay sprawled out on the bed, her eyes closed and breathing shallow. Tear tracks glistened on her cheeks, and her nose was rather red.

"Haruhi? Are you alright?" Kyoya moved closer and shook her shoulder.

Haruhi groaned lightly. She opened her eyes, but as soon as the two made eye contact, Haruhi clamped her eyes shut and rolled away from him. Kyoya sighed heavily. She wasn't going to cooperate now?

"Please, Haruhi, I just want to help. I know you told me not to, but I can't just leave you here like this." Kyoya explained calmly.

Haruhi continued to ignore him, so Kyoya leaned forward and kissed her shoulder before getting up and leaving the room. If he stayed any longer, Kyoya was afraid he would explode at Haruhi. His patience was wearing dangerously thin.

"Papa?" A small voice came from his left.

"Yes, Isamu-chan?"

"What's the matter?"

Kyoya admired the boy's perceptive nature. He always seemed to know when something was wrong.

"Nothing...your mama just does not seem to want to get up again today..."

Isamu looked down sadly. "What if I tried?"

Kyoya wanted to tell him no. He was afraid that Haruhi's lack of interest would hurt the boy. But Isamu looked so lonely and scared standing there in the hallway.

"If you'd like to, you may." Kyoya stepped aside to allow the boy to enter.

Isamu disappeared into the room, and Kyoya listened intently as Isamu tried to get her to talk. Surely Haruhi would talk to the boy who thought of her as a mother? She could not possibly resist his cuteness. Naturally, he was proven wrong when Isamu came back out and shook his head sadly.

"She didn't want to talk to me...she didn't even look at me!" The boy wailed.

Kyoya sighed heavily. Haruhi's pain was being projected onto everyone around her, including the young boy. Kyoya picked Isamu up and took him downstairs. Setting him on the counter, Kyoya looked into the boy's red-rimmed eyes.

"Isamu-chan, Haruhi is still very sad. It is not that she does not wish to speak with you; rather, she wants time to reflect on how she feels. It's difficult, but we need to let her be for a little while."

"But...why can't she get over it? It's flust...fluster...flusterating!" His tiny face contorted into a scowl.

Kyoya chuckled lightly. "It's frustrating, Isamu, frustrating. I know it can feel that way sometimes, but we need to be there for her for as long as she needs us. One of these days, she's going to come back to us. We need to be there for her when that day comes."

Isamu's face softened, and Kyoya realized that what he had said was right. He shouldn't be upset with Haruhi for her reaction to her father's death. For Kami's sake, he was her father! One day, she would allow them to hear her voice again, but until that day came, they needed to be understanding and supportive.

"How about some chocolate chip pancakes?" Kyoya suggested, noting how Isamu's eyes lit up.

"You can cook pancakes?" The boy asked in wonder.

"Well...no...but don't tell anyone that. We'll just have to learn together." Kyoya smiled at Isamu, who returned it eagerly.

"Alrighty, first we need..." Isamu put a finger to his chin. "Flowers! We need flowers!"

"Uhm...flowers, Isamu? I think we should skip the flowers and add some flour...would that be okay?"

Isamu blushed darkly. "That's what I said. We need flowers..."

Kyoya laughed and patted his head as they set to work on the pancakes.

An hour later, the men had produced 30 of the most burnt chocolate chip pancakes the world had ever seen. They stood in front of the black stack of carbon cakes, staring at it comically.

"Er..." Isamu started.

"Heh..."

"These don't look like pancakes..."

"Master Kyoya!" A maid shrieked from behind him. It was Marianna, the Ootori's longest-serving staff member. She was a portly American woman who had come to the country over 20 years ago and never left. She had practically raised Kyoya and his siblings. Marianna fixed her glare on Kyoya, almost making him shrink back. "What in the world are you doing?!"

Isamu, clearly knowing the power he held over everyone in the mansion, stepped in front of Kyoya and crossed his arms. "We were making breakfast. What does it look like?"

Kyoya could not remember ever seeing the boy display such...such...sass.

"Well then, I hope you were not planning on eating this...breakfast." She turned her piercing gaze onto Kyoya.

"Of course not. I'm not an idiot."

She scoffed and turned on her heel. "Well, whatever you two decide on eating, make sure you try to get that girl of yours to eat. She's looking particularly unwell today."

Kyoya nodded once as Marianna left the room. He looked down at Isamu and raised an eyebrow. "Do we want to get out of here for breakfast?"

Isamu, always looking for a reason to leave the mansion, nodded eagerly and left to get ready.

Kyoya walked up the stairs to Haruhi's room.

"Hey, Haruhi. Isamu and I are going to go out for breakfast; did you want us to bring you anything?"

Haruhi shook her head, still not looking at him.

"Please, Haruhi...just look at me..." Kyoya pleaded softly.

Haruhi continued to stare into nothingness, so Kyoya turned around to leave. He stopped at the door for a minute and glanced back at his unresponsive girlfriend. Haruhi, presumably thinking that he had left, turned towards the door, and Kyoya's heart nearly shattered. Haruhi's face was red and puffy from crying, and as accustomed as he was to seeing her this way, it still pained Kyoya. Haruhi jumped in surprise, but she made no move to turn back around.

Knowing that Isamu could wait for a few more minutes, Kyoya walked back over to Haruhi's side and sat down on the bed. Haruhi turned her eyes to him. Kyoya nearly melted when he saw the raw emotion they held. He could see the guilt she felt mixed with the pain of her situation, and Kyoya felt terrible for being angry with her earlier.

"I know it's difficult, Koi..." Kyoya told her softly, leaning forward and wrapping her in a hug.

Kyoya held her while she cried and soothed her until she fell asleep an hour later. As soon as he got the chance, Kyoya hopped down the stairs to find Isamu chatting with one of the maids.

"I am so sorry, Isamu. Haruhi was not feeling very well." Kyoya explained.

Isamu waved it off and bid farewell to the maid before grabbing Kyoya's hand and looking up at him. "Can we go now, Papa? We can bring something back for her!"

Kyoya smiled slightly at the boy's consideration and nudged him out the door.

They returned in good time, with Haruhi's breakfast in hand. Kyoya had a feeling that Haruhi would not want to eat it, but it would be there for her in the event that she did feel hungry enough to eat.

The rest of the day passed in relative silence. Kyoya checked on Haruhi several times, and, to no one's surprise, she still did not want to eat. When it came time for Isamu to be put to bed, he and Kyoya went to see how Haruhi was doing.

She was sitting up, once again poring over the words in her father's will and his last letter, as though they might reveal some huge secret. Kyoya wanted so badly to shake some sense into her, to scream at her until she understood that he was not coming back. But his love for her and his wishes for her well-being over-powered these notions.

Isamu held a package wrapped in shiny paper, which he fiddled with nervously as they stood in the doorway. Kyoya cleared his throat, making Haruhi jump in surprise.

"Mama, we made you a present..." Isamu started as he neared the bed slowly, still picking at the silvery paper.

Haruhi turned her head cutely and motioned to the spot next to her on the bed. She and Kyoya locked eyes, and Kyoya tried to give her a look that said 'you had better talk to this poor boy, or else,' but he had a feeling it came off as more of a desperate look than anything else.

Kyoya approached the bed and stood while Isamu snuggled into Haruhi's side and handed her the gift.

"We worked really hard on it, Mama! Just for you!" Isamu told her, shoving the package into her hands.

Slowly, meticulously, Haruhi peeled the paper off of the parcel. Kyoya saw the beginning of tears in her eyes once more. Haruhi gasped quietly and put a hand to her mouth as she looked up at Kyoya again. The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know: she could not have been happier with any other gift.

With tears rushing down her face, Haruhi placed the gift on the bed and crushed Isamu's small body into her chest. No words had left her yet, but Kyoya knew she was getting there.

"Do you like it?" Came Isamu's muffled reply to her display.

Haruhi nodded vigorously and let him breathe.

"We love you, Haruhi. Don't ever forget that." Kyoya told her honestly.

* * *

_**Phew! That was a lot...I've still got about 4,000 words to post for the next chapter...will Haru-chan finally break out of her depression? Will the boys get their woman back? Will Kyoya ever learn to cook? Find out next time in: **__**Heat Stroke III: To Lose One and Love Two Others**__**!**_

_**Much love to all of you!**_

_**P.S. Thank you all for your kind birthday wishes on my previous chapter! I appreciated all of them!**_


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